406 
Ohservulioii!^ on t/ic vai iuat^ J/u-ccls 
Mr. Pusey an interesting account of this beetle, communicated by 
Mr. Robert Baker, stating that some garden marrowfat peas were 
drilled early in February, which were retarded in growth from 
the cold north-east winds and wet, and destroyed by the ravages 
of this insect, which notched all the leaves (pi. Q, fig. 6), and in 
many instances entirely defoliated the stem (fig. 7). It most 
abounded on light turnip-soil. Mr. Baker correctly observes 
that "it is exactly the colour of the soil, and very difficult to 
detect, as upon the approach of any one, it falls down suddenly 
from the pea, and lies motionless for some time afterwards, as if 
dead : but if any one looks attentively forward a few yards, the^ 
may be observed in scores sitting upon the edges of the pea-leaves 
and gnawing away earnestly, with appetites as voracious as the 
Turnip-flv, and almost as destructive in the result." From the 
same source we learn that " they do not attack the common hog- 
pea so vigorously as the garden varieties, but the marrowfat and 
early peas suffer most ; and such have been its destructive effects 
this spring, that nearly all my garden crops are destroyed by it." 
This was corroborated by the fact that the maple-grey peas nearly 
escaped, whilst the remainder of 8 acres in the same field were 
obliged to be ploughed up. What has occurred at Hertford 
since Mr. Webb wrote to me I have not been informed ; but at 
the beginning of May in the following year, the Weevils were 
committing dreadful havoc with crops of peas and beans in the 
neighbourhood of Ware. 
It is somewhat remarkable that this beetle, named Curcnlio 
Jineatiis. commences with the peas in March ; then it affects the 
broad l^eans to such an extent, that I have not been able to find a 
single leaf in a field of many acres which has not been notched as 
much as the one represented in the plate (fig. 8) ; and in August, 
and until the close of the autumn, its ravages are transferred to 
the crops of clover and lucern. On the 18th of that month, 1843, 
I received a communication from Mr. C. Parsons, of North 
Shoebury Hall, Essex, which is too valuable to be passed over. 
He says, " I enclose you a beetle, very destructive in these parts 
to the young plants of clover, lucern, &c. ; so much so, as often 
totally to destroy whole fields, and especially those of lucern 
{Meclic.afjo sativa), which they attack in such a way, that for 
several years past no one has been able to obtain a full plant, 
although going to the expense of sowing the land two or there 
times over. The damage is attributed by our farmers here to 
tl;e Turnip-fly, and the habits of these little Weevils render it in 
the spring of the year exceedingly diilkult to detect, as the mo- 
ment one approaches near, down they fall upon their backs 
amongst the clods, and remain motionless Avith their legs folded 
up. I have searched a long time in vain for (hem in fields where 
