Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses Page: 26

26 TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES.

vils which at once crawl or fly
around, if disturbed. One of the
photo cuts shows several of the
mature insects; they are so lively
and tenacious to kill that they had
to be chloroformed before a photo
reproduction could be made of
them. The following cut shows
Microscopic appearance of the Boil WVeevil's
Nostrils, or Boring Apparatus, considerably
magnifi d, showing part of head, eyes, nostrils,
antenna, and the curved fangs on end parts.
the microscopic appearance of the
nostril or boring apparatus of the
boll-weevil. It shows the front
part of its head with both eyes
(partly destroyed from pressure
in mounting), the long and slight-
ly curved proboscis with two deli-
cate feelers (antennae), and its
extreme end part is supplied with
two curved fangs. The latter un-
doubtedly serve to lacerate the
tissues of the cotton plant, espe-
cially the cotton bolls and buds
whence they bore further and
through the entire capsule or buds.
A sub-species of this insect is
occasionally very numerously en-
countered in other plants, espe-
cially in cereals: and perhaps
those injuring corn, acorns, beans
and peas, etc., belong to the same
class. They bore, with a similar
proboscis as the one of the boll-

weevil, through the outer hull of
the corn, etc., and perhaps hiber-
nate there until favorable condi-
tions produces new crops of these
pestiferous insects. Some months
ago I noticed in the so-called
Mexican beans a great number of
these insects; they had not been
noticed until cooking the beans,
when the shriveled, dark objects
were noticed inside the shell in
the corner of the beans and they
resembled very much the cotton
boll-weevil.
The body of the holl-weevil is
of dark grey color, broad at the
rear and narrow toward the head
which is supplied, as stated, with
the long, curved proboscis and
antennae or feelers. Some writer
in the Galveston News related his
experience on boll-weevils cap-
tured alive and placed in a tightly
corked bottle. HIe brought this
bottle to an ice factory and there
froze it in the middle of a 200-
pound cake of ice. After this the
cake of ice was put on exhibition
on the street. "A fter niclting,
Seven Cotton oll \ v\:xii Magnifiei
Slight
the weevils were exposed to the
sunshine and after thirty hours
captive in this frozen state it was
proven that the weevils showed
signs of active life." No wonder
the search for an agent, chemicals
or otherwise, is baffling the minds
of researchers. Fortunately though
some ways and means undoubted-
lvy will be found to capture and
destroy them.