114 CHARLES W. LENG. 



has written me of catching Cicindelidse in a railroad cut so early in the 

 season that the snow still lay on one side the track ; and on reflection 

 it appeared that our captures were made too early for the larvse to 

 have had any opportunity of feeding; and it, therefore, seemed prob- 

 able that the Fall Cicindelidte lived over Winter buried in the sand 

 to emerge in the warm days of Spring. To ascertain if they were 

 capable of hibernating, Mr. Davis brought home, on October 19th, 

 several specimens alive and gave them a large glass jar with sandy 

 bottom. Left to themselves in a cold barn they ])romptly buried in 

 the sand provided. In December, one was taken out and proved to 

 be alive and well. In January the jar was brought into a warm room 

 and the beetles were apparently dead, but, after about four hours of 

 warmth, one of them woke up and ran about, and the following morn- 

 ing another had followed his example. These two were then placed 

 in a large fern case where they could find hiding places and where 

 one was observed on March 27th, still alive. There appears, there- 

 fore, to be no good reason for considering any of the species double- 

 brooded. 



Odor. — Dr. Leconte snys of sexgidtata, "exhales a fragrant odor;" 

 Mr. Oslar writes me of Oslari, " it emitted when handled a strong 

 musky odor ;" and Mr. Davis has noticed an apple-like odor in punc- 

 tulata, especially when captured at electric lights. 



Microscopic Structure of Elytra. — The sculpture of the elytra is, in 

 many species, very elaborate. There are numerous rather coarse punc- 

 tures, visible to the naked eye, which in the granulate-punctate species 

 are as if formed by a sharp instrument directed forward so as to cause 

 an elevation or granule in front of each puncture. The depression 

 caused by each puncture m;vy be the same color as the surface of the 

 elytra or a different color, and the changeable color of some s{)ecies 

 is due to the different positions in which it is held making more or 

 less of the depression visible. In addition to the visible punctuation 

 the surface of the elytra and the depressions are closely covered with 

 a minute punctulation, visible only under the microscope, much finer 

 than the granulation of the eyes. These minute punctulations are 

 metallic green-blue and cupreous, and in repanda, for example, make 

 a brilliant show when sufficiently magnified. 



In the maculate species the punctures cease, or nearly cease, within 

 the maculation, which is visible on the other side of the elytron when 

 it is detached from the beetle. 



