JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
112 
revived. It is in the egg and the larva stages that insects pass 
through the winter most successfully; pupae are apt to die from 
a variety of causes, so are the perfect insects that live from 
autumn to spring. The beetles that we have been recently con¬ 
sidering, and especially the weevils, are a sturdy race, yet there 
are differences. Doubtless when there are two species of similar 
size and habits, and one is rare while the other is abundant, it 
may be conjectured that the scarce species is either more delicate 
or specially attacked by parasitic enemies. 
Of these weevils already several thousand species have been 
fully made out, though our British species are limited to a few 
hundreds. We at once recognise them by the extension of the 
head into a snout, and by the antennae set in front. Some species 
are minus wings, the majority possessing them are slow flyers. 
Nearly all have the habit of falling readily when alarmed from 
any substance they are eating or crawling upon. Most of the 
larvae are hidden feeders, doing a greater amount of mischief than 
the mature beetles. White and fleshy grubs, legless, and with 
small beads, we might think them harmless were it not for 
evidence to the contrary, proving how effective is the action of 
their muscular and trenchant jaws. The weevils are subdivided 
into two groups; the first has straight antennae, the second has 
them elbowed or bent. 
Proceeding to examine some of the species in this family we 
commence at the genus Bruchus, of which we have eight native 
species. It is a speculation of several naturalists that none 
of these are truly British, but that they were introduced with 
foreign corn, Peas, and Beans ; if so, they have now become quite 
at home in these islands. Every gardener and most cooks know 
too well the larva of the Pea weevil (B. Pisi), and as, in the 
general way, each one consumes but a single Pea, we can fancy 
how numerous they must be in cases where a whole crop has been 
ruined by them. The little brown and white beetles are about a 
tenth of an inch in length, so that, though it has been recom¬ 
mended to look out for them at the flowers to which they resort 
in the summer, this is not easy of accomplishment. As, however, 
the larvae turn to pupae in the pods, we have them at our mercy 
towards the autumn, when it is sometimes necessary to burn whole 
rows that have been infested. B. granarius is another very 
familiar species, darker than the preceding, but similar in size ; 
this species visits both Peas and Beans, and unfortunately does 
some injury to the dried seeds as well as to the fresh crop, its 
vitality being strong. All Leguminous plants are liable to the 
attacks of one or other of the Bruchi, nor do they limit themselves 
to the species supplying us with food. The larger species called 
B. villosus comes out early in the year, and seeks the golden 
bloom of the Furze, placing its eggs amongst the young seeds just 
as they are forming. The result is, that instead of seeds there is 
to be found only heaps of frass, and more beetles come out to 
renew the attack during the autumn. Abroad there is found a 
Bruchus bold enough to attack such a large fruit as the Cocoa- 
nut. Still less in size than the insects of the genus Bruchus are 
those belonging to Apion, of which we have several score of 
British species. From the shape of the tiny body resembling that 
of a Pear has arisen the name they bear. Their limbs are so slender 
that the naked eye can hardly perceive them. The Clover is in¬ 
fested not merely by one, but by numerous species of the genus, 
especially by A. flavipes and Trifolii, and by means of a net 
swarms of these may be swept off this plant when it is in flower. 
They may also be found plentifully upon the flowers in hedge¬ 
rows near Clover fields, to which they convey themselves by 
means of their legs, for their elytra enclose no wings. In some 
seasons these weevils affect noticeably the due development of the 
seeds. Others of the genus have been discovered in Peas and 
Beans, operating upon these as do the Bruchi. A few bore into 
the roots or stems of plants, such as Apion radiolum, a foe to 
the Hollyhock, the proceedings of which explain unpleasantly 
to the gardener why some of his choice plants decline. This beetle, 
which is of a deep green, almost black colour, insidiously pierces 
holes here and there in the stems of Hollyhocks, within each of 
which holes an egg is placed. The larva feeds upon the pith, and 
then turns to pupa in its hiding place. One of the largest Apions 
is A. carduorum, about a sixth of an inch long, with steely green 
elytra, and a frequenter of Thistles. 
From these we proceed to a very distinct family called the 
Brachyderidm, from the circumstance that the broad head is 
set close upon the thorax, making them short-necked. We are 
still amongst the enemies of the Peas, for Sitones lineatus the 
Striped Pea Weevil, attacks the young leaves of the plant at the 
very period when it can least bear injury from insects, having 
enough to do to sustain itself in our usually ungenial spring. The 
beetles, emerging in autumn, hide during winter where they best 
can, and re-appear as soon as the Peas are ready for them. The 
[^February 10, 1881. 
small jaws of the beetles leave conspicuous traces upon the leaves, 
while their nocturnal habits are much in their favour ; but they have 
other enemies than man. Our Scotch fr:ends, with a freak of 
imagination, name the species the cuddy or donkey from its grey 
hue and its protruding ear-like antennas. By a singular eccen¬ 
tricity of habit some of the weevils in this family form cocoons of 
open threads of silk, within which the pupa reposes. These are 
chiefly in the genus Cionus, and the larvae occur on the leaves of 
the Mullein and plants of the natural order to which that belongs. 
It might be said of the species in the genus Cleonus, that they 
are, like one or two Apions, in some degree useful, since their 
operations have a tendency to check the increase of Thistles. 
Almost the biggest of our weevils is C. nebulosus, approaching 
an inch in length, the elytra have ashen-grey scales which are 
easily rubbed off, thereby altering the appearance of the markings. 
It is rather scarce ; but a commoner species, C. sulcirostris, has 
been perceived to kill Thistles just before the period of flowering, 
the larva burrowing in the root, or lower part of the stem. One 
of the species, however, C. Linarise, has, however, occasionally been 
taken in gardens, preying upon various Antirrhinums. 
We close this article with a brief reference to the genus Phyl- 
lobius, containing species which infest fruit trees. Here again 
the damage is done by the beetle, not the larva. Phyllobius 
oblongus is a long-bodied slim beetle, reddish brown, and having 
long antennae. May is their season of activity, when they visit 
the youDg leaves of the Apple by preference, though they are also 
seen at times upon the Apricot, Peach, and Plum. Another 
species, P. Pyri, is more attached to the Pear, the leaves of which 
it bites during April; this is similar to the preceding, but of a 
dark brown. These weevils are not excessively troublesome, yet 
when they have located themselves in an orchard it is almost 
impossible to entirely destroy them.—J. R. S. C. 
At the Annual General Meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society held at South Kensington on Tuesday last, the Right Hon. 
Lord Aberdare in the chair, the following candidates were duly 
elected Fellows—viz., John Capron Bigg, Douglas Brown, Miss 
Emily Bunbury, Major Ellis, James Charter, Joseph Cheal, 
J. J. T. Somers Cocks, Mrs. W. J. R. Cotton, Lady Dennison, Rev. 
J. F. Fitzwygram, Mrs. James Foster, Mrs. Gardiner, Mrs. Hamlin, 
Mrs. Le Champion, Joseph Little, Mrs. Charles Mercer, Louis 
Nathan, J. C. Nelson, Arthur Parson, Amos J. Perry, Benjamin 
Piercy, Henry Potter, Major W. Salmond, Octavius Toogood, Mrs. 
B. G. Wilkinson, J. R. Worcester, Miss A. M. Worcester, and 
Colonel J. Copley Wray. 
-A Market Gardener writing upon Pithy Celery 
says, “ I save own seed and select it most carefully, as it is diffi¬ 
cult to purchase good seed. I grow two or three acres of Celery, 
and no matter how dry the season I never see a hollow stick and 
rarely a short one, and yet for market growers to attempt to 
supply water would be absurd. Three things are needful—a good 
variety, plenty of decayed manure, and good cultivation.” 
- Referring to our illustration of Imantophyllum con- 
cinnum in last issue, a correspondent writes —“ There is no doubt 
an important future for it and its allies. Some of the Ghent 
nurseries have raised a great variety from seeds ; at Van Geert’s 
in particular we saw quantities of young hybrid plants, many of 
which had been flowered, and from their splendid character any 
ordinary price had been refused.” 
- “J. L.” sends us a report of the frost in Leicester¬ 
shire, in which we observe that the lowest temperature registered 
was 2j° below zero on the 15 th ult. He also states that although 
Marechal Niels and other Roses were all covered with mats, he 
fears by their appearance that they will be cut down to the 
ground again. Cabbages are all killed and many of the Broccoli. 
