WEEVILS. The family of the weevils is one of the most extensive amongst the beetles, and in Europe many of its members do much injury to agricultural produce. Mr. Nietner had seen nearly the whole sweet potato (Batatas edulis) crop of the Negombo district of Ceylon destroyed by one of them, the Cylas stureipennis. The COME8011 rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzx, is another instance ; and one of the cocoanut tree destroyers of the Ceylon low country, the Spluenophorus plani penuis, belongs also to this family. The Arliines? destructor, a beautiful green weevil, Mr. Nietner had not found do any injury to coffee trees ; but Mr. J. Rose of Matturatti, writing to him, says the mischief they do is plentiful, and if they were as plentiful as the bug they would be the planters' worst enemies. Five or six acres were com pletely covered with them, and they consumed almost every leaf. Year after year they appeared upon the same place. One year they appeared upon a neighbouring estate in great force, and overran at least 40 acres. The same thing oc curred on three other estates.'
There are two corn weevils, of the order Cole optera, family Curculionidm, and genus Calandra, the Sitophilus of Schiinherr. Calandra oryzrc, the rico weevil, infests alfio wheat. It has a pair of serviceable wings. C. granaria, Linn., the granary weevil, injures store.d corn ; in Britain has no wings. They pair from April to August, the warmer it is the oftener they propagate. Heating the grain to 135° is said to destroy them. If unseoured wool be mixed with the grain, the insects arc attracted into it and perish. Lime washing the walls and frequent stirring are pre ventives.
The leaves of the Azadirachta Indica or nim prevent the weevil attacking grain. If a few leaves be put in the barn with each waggon load of corn, maize, or wheat, and some scattered between each tier of sacks of grain when loading a ship, the grain put up in it will be pre served for years. Half a bushel of black salt, mixed with a hundred bushels of wheat, rice, or other grain, prevents the black weevil.