72 Bulletin 64. 



no sharply defined period of flight. A few individuals ma}' be 

 found almost any time in June or Juh\ 



The egg state of this species is of special interest because it 

 exhibits some of the most marked changes in color. When first 

 laid the eggs are a creamy white color ; within twenty-four hours 

 they change to a scarlet and the next twenty-four hours the color 

 deepens to a geranium red. After the second day the eggs change 

 but little in color. They hatch in about ten days. As the egg- 

 shell is very thin the black head of the embryo shows through it 



with great distinctness. Soon after hatching the 

 ^^^^^^^ larvae begin to feed most voraciously. Slight 



nests (Fig. 6) are spun on the blades of grass 

 larva. c!\eaVh- undcr which the larvae retires when not feeding. 



Others spin a web in the axils of the leaves. In 

 these nests frass is allowed to collect. As the larvae become larger 

 they build the more typical cjdindrical nest at the base of the 

 stalks of grass ; these nests are strengthened on the outside with 

 finely chewed bits of grass and thej- usually extend about half an 

 inch below the surface. As the larvae continue to grow the nests 

 are built anew or enlarged and at this period the larvae adopt the 

 cut-worm habit and eat off" blades of grass* and draw one end into 

 the nest. Some of the nests contained finely chewed bits of green 

 grass evenly packed around the inside of the nest. This material 

 seemed to serve as reserve food. 



About the first of August the larvae construct a dense hiberna- 

 culum. The outside is thickly covered with bits of grass and 

 particles of soil, while the inside is smoothly lined with silk. 

 The rest of the life history is }^et to be worked out. 



* The writer obsen-ed a larva cut oflf a blade of grass aad then pull the end 

 down into its nest. The larva ate the blade nearh^ off and then pulled sev- 

 eral times on a free corner but it was unable to tear the piece away ; finally 

 after repeated pulling and cutting at the base of the leaf, the larva succeeded 

 in tearing loose the prize and fell with it to the ground, the blade lying upon 

 the ground. The larva next dragged the base of the leaf to the mouth of its 

 nest and thenbj- repeated pulls upon a corner succeeded in bringing the blade 

 to a perpendicular position and then in drawing the base of the blade down 

 into the nest. The whole was carried on with almost human intelligence ; 

 the repeated cutting and pulling reminded me of a man alternately cutting 

 and pulling at a tree. 



