Sale A Tee te 
£06 NATURAL HISTORY. 
CURCULIO, on WEEVEL. 
‘Turs infect feeds upon corn, the infide of which 
iteats, and leavesthe bran. in this tribe, nature 
difpenfes the riches of her moft refulgent colours, fo 
as to dazzle the eye with fplendor. But it is the mi- 
crofcope that muft admit us to this fcene of fuperla- 
tive beauty. . ‘ 
The curculio regalis found in Peru is a wonderful 
inftance of the beauty nature can beftow on even 
what is generally deemed the moft inconfiderable of 
her products. | Me 
The larvz, refembling oblong, foft worms, are 
anes dreaded for the injury they do in granaries. — 
Corn lofts are frequently laid wafte by their ravages. 
The infect, having remained within the grain until 
it has devoured the meal, lies concealed under the — 
empty hufk, until it paffes its aurelian ftate, and takes 
its flight asa curculio. While one fpecies feed on 
corn, others deftroy, in the fame manner, beans, peas 
and lentils. To difcover the grain infefted by the 
- larvae, it is thrown into water, when that part which 
{wims is certainly perforated by the curculiones. 
The headsiof artichokes and thiftles are often deftroy- 
ed by thefe deftructive infects. ‘This animal being 
fo delightful in appearance, and fo deftruétive in its 
nature, is a leffon which teaches that beauty may ef. 
fect our ruin while it captivates our fenfes. 


