451 



As the larvse mature in M;iy, it is ([uitf ]M»ssilile that they continue feeding all 

 winter. During the latter part of May and the first ])art of Jtnie the larvie make 

 oval earthen cells in the soil, aliout three eighths of an ineh long. * * * Within 

 these cells the change to a pupa takes place. We have not seen the pupa. On 

 June 27 adults were found on the surface of the soil in some of the cages. The 

 larvae had heen placed in the cages May 13. 'I'liiis in 1^ months after the larva? 

 were received they had made their cells and changed to pupa-; the pui)a' had trans- 

 formed into adults; and these adults had attained their normal color and hardness 

 and had worked their way to the surface. Evidently then the pu]ial stage is not 

 longer than 4 weeks. * * * Some of the beetles had not emerged from the soil 

 by July 4, but none were found alive in the soil after this date. Tliis indicates that 

 all the adults emerge before fall, but of the further liistory of the species we know 

 nothing. 



Mclanotits communis (pp. 202-207). — Notes on observations regarding 

 the life liistory and habits of tliis species, with a detailed technical 

 description of the larva. 



The duration of the larval period is at least 3 years, for several large larva; were 

 placed in a cage May 30, 1889, and some changed to adults that year, but one larva 

 kept growing for nearly 2 years, reaching a length of 30 """. It died in the spring 

 of the second year and was no doubt at least 3 and possibly 5 years old. * * * 



The change to a pu])a takes place during July. The mature larva forms an earthen 

 cell similar, and probably made in a similar manner, to the cell of the wheat wire- 

 worm. This cell is about three fourths of an inch in length and three eighths of an 

 inch wide. Soon after the cell is finished the skin of the larva opens at the sutures 

 on the top of the head and along the median line on the dorsum of the following 

 three or four segments. The white and tender pupa then works itself out, leaving 

 the cast larval skin crowded into one end of the cell. The wing pads, legs, and 

 antennieof thepupa are folded closely on the breast. In other respects it resembles 

 the beetle, but is nearly one fourth longer and the nine segments of the abdomen 

 are distinctly visible. It is much larger than the pupa of the wheat wircAVorm, and 

 in addition to the long, sharp bristle at each angle of the thorax it has two similar 

 shorter ones, one each side of the niesal linear depression near the caudal border of the 

 thorax. 



The change to a beetle takes place in about 1 month. * * * In our cages 

 the beetle never left its earthen cell until the following spring. 



Drasterius eh'f/ans (pp. 2()7-27(>). — Notes on observations regarding 

 the life history and habits of this species, with a detailed technical 

 description of the hirva. 



The larvte were placed in the cage April 24, and were not disturbed for over 2 

 months. On July 4 recently transformed Ijeetles were found in earthen cells in the 

 soil. *f * * The change to a beetle takes place about July 1, but whether the 

 beetles emerge so(m, as in the case of Asaphes decolorains, or whether they hibernate 

 in the groniid we can not say. 



Cri/pfohi/piiKs abhreviafus (pp. 270-272). — Notes on observations 

 regarding the life history and habits of this species, with a detailed 

 technical description of the larva. 



The Avorms when mature are from 7""" to 9""" in length, and closely resemble the 

 young larvie of Asaphes clecolorafKS. ^ * * Xhe larvte were placed in cages of 

 growing grass in the spring and were not disturbed until fall; some remained 

 undisturbed until the next spring. In October one cage contained live beetles in their 

 earthen sells; and in the following May a beetle emerged in another cage. These 



