562 Insects. 
boscis projecting from the front of the head, at the ex- 
tremity of which the mouth is situated. As this pro- 
boscis is not thicker than a fine needle, our readers may 
form some notion of the minute size of the jaws with 
which the mouth is furnished ; nevertheless, they are 
sufficiently powerful to enable the little creature to eat 
corn and biscuit. In the larva state they are exceedingly 
destructive to corn in granaries, sometimes abounding to 
such an extent in a heap of grain as to leave nothing of 
it but the husks. 
There are an immense number of Weevils, all of which 
have the front of the head elongated into a proboscis or 
beak. A very common one is the Nut- Weevil (Balaninus 
micum), which has a very long and slender beak ; with 
this the female eats into the soft shells of young nuts, 
and deposits her eggs in the hole ; the grubs devour the 
kernel of the nut, and leave nothing but dust in the in- 
terior of the shell. 
THE LADY BIRD, OE LADY COW. 
(Coccinella septem-punctata.) 
Thp: larva of this well-known and beautiful little beetle 
is disagreeable and almost disgusting in its appearance ; 
but to compensate for this it is extremely useful in de- 
stroying the aphis, or green fly. Jn the perfect insect 
the elytra are scarlet, beautifully spotted with black ; 
some species having seven, and others five spots, and 
one of the most beautiful, eighteen. The head is very 
small, the antennas and legs very short, and the body 
nearly round. This beetle is generally regarded with 
much favour in almost all countries, and in Catholic 
times was in a manner dedicated to the Virgin Mary. 
Hence its name of Ladv Bird. 
