108 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOalST. 



ticular tree is selected, and for what purpose, is as yet unknown. Several 

 times the eggs and young larvae have been unsuccessfully sought for at the 

 roots of the tree ; and on the first of May this year a man was employed 

 to dig at its roots ; long trenches were cut in several directions, and to the 

 depth of two feet, without finding larvae or pupje. The larvae, which re- 

 semble those of Lachnosterna, but are distinguished by their "coal-black 

 heads," as stated in the places above cited, are often found m grassy 

 places' where I have also taken the beetle after disclosure. Now, smce 

 neither eggs, nor larv^, nor pup^, are found at the roots of the ash, and 

 considering the comparative fewness of the females taken, Is it not prob- 

 able that, after pairing, the latter resort to grassy places to oviposit? 



At the place first cited is an extract from a letter from Mr. P. H. 

 Foster, near Babylon, Long Island, who had a grove of over six thousand 

 young ash trees, and from these it is stated his foreman dug up one 

 bushel of these beetles, and that they had destroyed a number of his trees. 

 The beetle itself is in this case certainly wrongfully accused, for it neither 

 eats nor wounds the roots ; but in case of small trees like these-" about 

 eight feet in height "-the larvae might have been so numerous m their 

 vicinity as to have devoured the rootlets, by which nourishment is derived 

 from the soil. Just what connection there is between the beetle and 

 the ash and the liquidambar remains to be discovered, and it is to be 

 hoped some entomologist residing in the country may be incited to a suc- 

 cessful investigation. 



Stridulation is effected in a manner I do not remember to have seen 

 noticed, namely, by an arrangement within the acetabulum of the middle 

 cox^e This is very deep, and in the portion of the cavity belonging to 

 the mesosternum is a large, polished, smooth space, divided by an acute 

 carina ; by rotating the coxae the insect has the power at will to bring a 

 ' certain part in contact with this carinated line, producing a shrill squeaking 

 sound audible at a considerable distance. I have not succeeded in in- 

 ducing them to come out of the ground to see what was gomg on, as 

 narrated by your correspondent, vol. 12, p. 139. 



To sum up, all that is now positively known of the life history of this 

 bettle is, that in season it is taken burrowing at the roots of ash and liquid- 

 ambar trees ; that it exists in the larvae state more than one year ; and that 

 some of its larvae live on the roots of grass, and transform under stones, 

 &c. All else is conjecture. 



