12 
APPLE. 
One important point brought forward by the observations of the 
past season as to the habits of this insect is how far the female beetle 
may be considered to reach the buds by flying rather than (as has been 
believed to be the case by some of our very best observers) by crawling 
or creeping along the boughs. 
In the life-history of this insect given by John Curtis, he says, 
“ In March when the flower buds are swelling, the beetles emerge from 
their retreats, when the males are seen in sunny mornings flying 
amongst the trees in search of the females, who generally are crawling 
over the branches, although they are also furnished with wings.” And 
again, in the same paper, John Curtis says, “From various statements 
it seems that the females will not readily fly, and as they crawl up the 
trees their incursions may be stopped, and the crops saved, by winding 
tarred bandages round the upper portion of the trunks.” * 
It is also mentioned by Schmidberger (see Kollar’s ‘ Insects ’) that, 
“ The female beetle generally walks from one bud to another; nor are 
these insects often seen flying from branch to branch.” Dr. Taschen- 
berg mentions that they creep or fly. 
Regarding this point, Mr. H. C. Staples wrote me the following 
observations from Swanley, Kent, on the 2nd of April, at which time 
he remarked that the blossom buds were becoming visible in some of 
the earliest trees. 
“ The Apple-blossom Weevil is now very active and plentiful; it is 
useless to dress the stems of the trees as this insect seems to fly as 
readily as any other. I have tried syringing the trees with arsenic in 
water, with soft-soap in water, and with paraffin in water, spreading 
paper beneath to see if any dead insects fall; only the last-named 
seems of any use, and that not in a very marked manner.” 
As the powers of flight of the female Apple-blossom Weevils, or at 
least their disposition to use them, are a very important consideration 
in arrangements as to prevention of attack, I suggested to Mr. Staples 
that it would be serviceable if he would make quite sure whether the 
specimens which he saw on the wing were females, by examining 
whether they contained eggs; and later on in the month (on the 25th) 
Mr. Staples reported, “ I have killed several with wings which I have 
found to contain little creamy-white eggs, which, if magnified to the 
size of a Mustard seed, show a minute black spot on one side.” 
I did not see the eggs myself; but the description of the egg by 
Dr. Tasclienberg is also as being white (without mention of appearance 
when magnified). 
It would be very desirable if orchard growers during the coming 
spring would look further into this matter. It may be that as the weevils 
are very susceptible of weather influence, the females only fly when C 
* See ‘ Gardeners’ Chron.’ for 1844, p. 556. 
