8 
CLOVE T?. 
infested by small white maggots, which were feeding at the base of the 
florets, and it was stated that every field of Clover in that neighbour¬ 
hood “was similarly attacked.” Enquiry was sent whether the maggots 
would destroy the seed, with the view in such case of cutting the crop 
for hay instead of leaving the seed to ripen. 
At the same date Mr. Broadmead, of Enmore Park, Bridgwater, 
reported a similar attack on Clover seed in that neighbourhood. “ In 
each head are small white maggots, generally five or six in number. 
Whole crops have been destroyed, and I have found scarcely a single 
plant unattacked.” The loss is, of course,, very great. 
On examination I found Apion maggots in the Clover-heads sent. 
These are little fleshy white maggots with brown heads, of the shape 
figured at fig. 3. The grub lies somewhat curved together and is leg¬ 
less, the front segments enlarged below, and tubercled so as to aid in 
such amount of progression as it needs to make. 
The life-history of the Purple Clover Weevil is as follows:—The 
beetles live through the winter, and when the Clover has run up to 
blossom the females lay their eggs in the flowering heads. The 
maggots which hatch from these eggs make their way through the 
calyx to the forming seed, on which they feed. They are stated to 
make their way into the seed, and feed on it until it is consumed; 
then to make their way out and to turn to chrysalids amongst the 
drying flowers. In the specimens sent me I found some of the little 
maggots free in the heads. From these chrysalids the weevils come 
out in about a fortnight, or, in the case of autumn broods, may remain 
in chrysalis-state till spring. This point may be important for practical 
purposes, as also that mentioned by John Curtis of the weevils being 
soft and tender when first developed from the chrysalis-state, which I 
had an opportunity of observing in the specimens sent. As the stages 
of their life-history are gone through rapidly there may be several 
generations in one year; the pests stored as maggots or chrysalids 
with the first harvested Clover will produce swarms of weevils to come 
out and attack the blossoms of the second crop, and so continue their 
generations, weather and crop permitting. 
Besides the loss caused by the weevil-maggots destroying the seed 
in the head, the weevils themselves do harm by feeding on leaves of 
the growing Clover. 
With regard to possibility of applying any remedy to attack when 
present in the flowering heads, it does not appear that when the 
flowers present the rusty or prematurely withered appearance, which 
shows that the maggots are feeding on the forming seed, that any 
measures to save it can be of the slightest service. The crop need not 
be totally lost, for it can be mown under common circumstances 
for hay. 
