64 
COLEOPTE KA. 
many years ago, and has gradually spread from thence to 
New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and 
Massachusetts. It is yet rare in New Hampshire, and I 
believe has not appeared in the eastern parts of Maine. It 
is unknown in the North of Europe, as we learn from the 
interesting account given of it by Kalm, the Swedish trav- 
eller, who tells us of the fear with which he was filled on 
finding some of these weevils in a parcel of peas which he 
had carried home from America, having in view the whole 
damage which his beloved country would have suffered, if 
only two or three of these noxious insects had escaped him. 
They are now common in the South of Europe and in Eng- 
land, whither they may have been carried from this country. 
As the cultivated pea was not originally a native of Amer- 
ica, it would be interesting to ascertain what plants the pea- 
weevil formerly inhabited. That it should have preferred 
the prolific exotic pea to any of our indigenous and less 
productive pulse, is not a matter of surprise, analogous facts 
being of common occurrence ; but that, for so many years, a 
rational method for checking its ravages should not have been 
practised, is somewhat remarkable. An exceedingly simple 
one is recommended by Deane, hut to be successful it should 
be universally adopted. It consists merely in keeping seed- 
peas in tight vessels over one year before planting them. 
Latreille and others recommend putting them, just before 
they are to be planted, into hot water for a minute or two, 
by which means the weevils will be killed, and the sprouting 
of the peas will be quickened. The insect is limited to a 
certain period for depositing its eggs ; late-sown peas there- 
fore escape its attacks. The late Colonel Pickering observed 
that those sown in Pennsylvania as late as the 20th of May 
were entirely free from weevils ; and Colonel Worthington, 
o( Rensselaer County, New York, who sowed his peas on 
the 10th of June, six years in succession, never found an 
insect in them during that period. 
The crow black-bird is said to devour great numbers of 
