Jan., '08] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 23 



As it was considered almost certain that the larva hibernated, 

 the matter was dropped until fall, and in September, Mr. 

 P>rakeley again began work. I had discussed the matter with 

 him and had suggested that the insect must be attached, some- 

 how, to some object, vegetable or animal, in such a way as 

 to keep it permanently submerged ; and so water plants were 

 first examined, without result. Finally, on September 2ist, 

 an entire bunch of grass was taken up from the bottom, mud 

 and all, and was washed out in a large beaker and graduate. 

 From this several larvae in the second and third stage were 

 obtained and sent to me. The clue was now in hand, and Mr. 

 Grossbeck was sent to Trenton, September 2/th, and in two 

 hours he had over forty larva?, ranging from stages 2 to 4, 

 and we knew just where the insects were found. Sections of 

 sod from the swamp were brought into the Laboratory and 

 placed in large battery jars, and soon we had over 100 larvae 

 under observation. 



Briefly stated, the larva of perturbans lives in swamp areas, 

 densely grass and reed-covered, some two to four inches below 

 the bottom surface, and attached by the anal siphon to the roots 

 of grasses which have a very open vascular texture. They can 

 only be obtained by getting the net under the tufts of grass 

 roots and scooping about, so as to dislodge the attached larvae. 

 Judging from our experience the infested areas must be cov- 

 ered by at least four inches of water, and when the water 

 gets a foot deep and more open, no more larvae are found. It 

 is the grass-root system and not the mud that is sought, as 

 I demonstrated at Lahaway early in November. Here the pool 

 where Mr. Grossbeck had collected the eggs had become much 

 deeper from late rains, and the mass of bottom vegetation had 

 separated and was floating about 6 inches from the bottom. 

 It was possible to break through the sod so as to get beneath 

 it, and with a small net, to scoop along the bottom of the root- 

 mass and from these roots I secured from one to five specimens 

 in every trial made ; but from the mud in the bottom I obtained 

 nothing. 



The life cycle of this peculiar species is not yet complete, 

 as the pupa has not been found ; but enough is known to make 



