COMMON GRANARY WEEVIL. 
75 
multiply the quickest. In Germany “ air-drains” are used to cool the 
heaps, and this is considered the surest way to prevent damage. 
Drain-pipes are laid in various directions through the heaps, and the 
temperature of the heaps and the surrounding atmosphere is thus 
considerably lowered. 
Turning or stirring the heaps, which is strongly advised, answers the 
same purpose ; and in the following communication, a member of a 
firm largely interested in imported grain, especially draws attention in 
the passages which I have marked in italics to the importance of 
turning the Wheat in frosty weather, and of keeping up a good draught. 
“ We unfortunately have had a great deal of experience of the 
mischief done by these animals. They breed very rapidly, we find, in 
warm weather, particularly in Wheat from Russia; but can usually he 
got rid of by turning the Wheat in frosty weather, if the warehouse is in an 
open situation ivith a good through draught. Sometimes during a mild 
winter it is impossible to get rid of them. This was the case in the 
winter of 1884-85 ; we lost between £1000 and £2000 on a single 
cargo of Russian Wheat from this cause. Some seasons, such as the 
summer of 1886, they seem to do but little harm. 
“As a rule, weevils are imported every year in Russian and 
Indian Wheats, and do more or less harm in the autumn, but are got 
rid of in the first severe frost. Occasionally weevils imported in 
distant cargoes do not seem to breed at all. We had an Australian 
cargo in bags in 1885 in which there were a good many weevils in the 
sweepings, but these never seemed to breed or increase.” 
These would very likely be the Calandra oryzee, which, though very 
destructive in imported corn is considered not to breed—or at least 
not to any extent—in this country, consequently on the temperature 
not being warm enough for it. 
In regard to this matter I tried some experiments, extending from 
the beginning of September in 1877 to the latter part of October in 
the following year, and I give an abstract of the observations, as I am 
not aware of other notes regarding propagation of this kind of Granary 
Weevil in England having been published. 
Life-history of Calandra (Sitophilus) oryzse, commonly known as Bice 
Weevil, although found in several kinds of grain. 
The observations were made on weevils from the sweepings of 
corn-ships (known as “ Indian dust ”), taken from imports from the 
East Indies. These were sent me on the 5tli of September, 1877, and 
at first the weevils refused to have anything to do with the English 
Wheat I sprinkled amongst them, straggling away in preference to the 
broken Maize scattered amongst it; but on the 19th of September, 
the punctures where the egg had been inserted were plainly noticeable. 
