INSTITUTE, PUSA, FOR 1919-20 77- 



living specimens brought from Kamrup. Success was only- 

 obtained with the first-named species. The adult beetles 

 rested in the soil, without taking any food so far as could 

 be observed, until October-November, when eggs were laid. 

 The resultant grubs were reared on roots of maize growing 

 in earth mixed with farmyard manure. The grubs did 

 hardly any damage to the maize plants and seemed to feed 

 mostly on the manure. They fed from November to March 

 and developed into beetles in April. This species has 

 therefore only one generation in the year but, unlike most 

 cockchafers, the grubs are active during the winter. 

 Alissonotum piceum most probably has a similar life- 

 history. . Only a few beetles were available to start the- 

 work and these rested in the adult stage, like those of 

 A. impressicolle, one living until October; but no eggs were 

 obtained. Of Heteronychus sublcevis only one beetle was 

 available for the work, which failed. The adult beetles of 

 these three species were observed to appear at Kamrup in 

 April 1919, and in last year's report it was stated, on the 

 strength of our experience with Scarabaeid beetles generally, 

 that their emergence was delayed owing to the drought 

 which prevailed at Kamrup in February and March. But 

 now it appears, presuming that the beetles reared at Pusa 

 emerged at their natural time, that April may be the 

 normal time for their appearance. According to the obser- 

 vations of Mr. S. R. Gupta, Entomological Assistant, Assam, 

 who has observed it at Kamrup, the adult beetles emerge 

 from the latter part of March until the end of April, and 

 grubs are found from June to January, and pupae in 

 February; it does not appear, however, that these grubs 

 were actually bred out. As indicated in last year's Report, 

 the beetles occur at Kamrup every year, breeding in large 

 numbers, their grubs finding plenty of food in the rich 

 humus over the extensive areas under wild grasses all around 

 the Sugarcane Farm, but in normal years it is not con- 

 sidered that they are likely .to do any extensive damage to 

 sugarcane. This is corroborated by the experience of 

 1920, when the beetles occurred but did not cause serious 

 damage. With unfavourable climatic conditions, as in 



