112 
ANNALS OF THE 
4. Universities and scientific societies formin,^ herbaria and corresponding 
with the Botanical Society, will be permitted to take precedence of the members in 
the annual distributions. The Society's public herbarium will be invariably sup- 
plied with such specimens as may be required before any distributions take place. 
5. Members are required to send, along with annual contributions of speci- 
mens, a list of those species which they desire to receive in return, or otherwise to 
specify, in sufficiently explicit terms, the nature of the plants wished for. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE CURCULIO, ITS MODE OF DESTROYING FRUIT, 
AND THE VARIOUS MLANS EMPLOYED TO CHECK ITS PROGRESS. 
By Thomas Briggs, Jr., F. B. S. C, 
President of the Horticultural Society of Kingston. 
Read lAih June, 1861. 
The Curculio, or Plum Weevil, for the last few years has been very destructive 
to the fruit crop, more particularly the Plum, and as the season it makes its appear- 
ance is fast advancing, it may not be out of pUce at this meeting to give a brief de- 
scription of the insect, its mode of destroying the fruit, and the various means which 
have been taken to check its progress. The Curculio is about one-fifth of an inch 
in length, very hard, of a dark brown color, varied with spots of lightfr shades, be- 
hind its wings is a band of ochre yellow, thorax uneven and rough ; it has a long 
curved throat with two fine pointed mandibles at the end of its snout with which 
it makes the crescent shaped mark upon the plum or fruit, as shown by the 
accompanying drawing, it does not, however, confine itself lo the Plum, but attacks 
the cherry, apple, pear and other fruits. 
It makes its appearance in this locality in the latter part of May or early in June, 
and commences its work on the Plum about ten da\> after the blossoms have fallen 
or as soon as the fruit is set, and if allowed to continue its destruction in the fruit 
garden without interruption, will scarcely leave a PLun unmarked on any one tree : 
in the crescent shaped mark it deposits an egg, and in a few days after a worm or 
maggot appears therein, working its way into the core of the fruit ; the effect caused 
by this worm or maggot in the Plum, is the dropping of the same before ripe, after 
which it passes into the ground, where it completes its transformation and is sup- 
posed by many to remain in the soil until the following Spring; others are of opinion 
that it brings forth two broods in one season, that is, the larva in the early fallen 
fruit soon becomes perfected, returns out of the soil and commences its destruction 
on apples, pears and other fruits. My own observations have satisfied me such is 
the case. During the early part of last summer I placed a Plum and a Curculio 
