186 



li^TJUKIOUS INSECTS 



it awakens from its lethargy^ and^ if it has slept in the 

 forest, instinctively searches for the nearest orchard. 

 In Central Illinois and in Central Missouri the beetles 

 may be found in the trees during the last half of April, 

 but in the extreme southern part of Illinois they appear 

 about two weeks earlier, while in the extreme northern 

 part of the same State they are fully two weeks later. 

 Thus, in the single State of Illinois, there is a difference 

 of about one month in the time of the Curculio's first 

 appearance on fruit trees; and the time will yary with 

 the forwardness or lateness of the season. 



As we shall see from the sequel, it is very important 

 that we know just when first to expect " Mrs. Turk," and 

 I therefore lay it down as a rule, applicable to any lati- 

 tude, that she first commences to puncture peaches when 

 they are of the size of small marbles or of hazel-nuts, 

 though she may be found on the trees as soon as they are 

 in blossom. To prevent confusion I will use the word 

 " peach," not that her work is confined to this fruit, for, 

 as we shall presently see, she is not so particular in her 

 tastes, but because the peach is more extensively grown 

 than are any of the other large kinds of stone-fruit. 



Alighting, then, on a small peach, she takes a strong 

 hold of it (fig. 116 d), and with the minute jaws at the 

 end of her snout, makes a small cut just through the 

 skin of the fruit. She then runs the snont slantingly 

 under the skin, to the depth of one-sixteenth of an inch, 

 and moves it back and forth until the cavity is large 

 enough to receive the egg it is to retain. Then she turns 

 around and drops an egg into the mouth of the cavity, 

 and after this is accomplished, she resumes her first posi- 

 tion, and by means of her snout pushes the egg to the 

 end of the passage, and afterwards deliberately cuts the 

 crescent in front of the hole, so as to undermine the egg 

 and leave it in a sort of flap. The whole operation 

 requires about five minutes, and her object in cutting the 



