a. H. Ford 100 



incomplete or even wrong, as Perris(i4) quotes Bouche {Naturg. p. 186), 

 as describing a larva of an Athovs or Corymhites as A. linealus. The 

 best accounts of Elaterid larvae were found in Ferris (14), Schiodte(i6), 

 and Beling(2), from which sources the comparisons are procured. The 

 distinction between the genus Agriotes and that of Elater seems fairly 

 clear. The possession of a blunt tooth, on the internal margin of the 

 mandible (Plate XVII, fig. 7), indicates the genus Agriotes according 

 to Schiodte, while Beling gives the presence of the chitinous cavity 

 on the base of the ninth abdominal segment as indicating the genus. 

 Beling describes A. lineatus and A. obscurus, as follows: 



(1) Larve, sehr fein und seicht punktirt, fast glatt, blass braunlich 

 gelb. In erde, vorzugsweise auf Aeckern.... ^^notes lineatus. 



(2) Larve unregelmassig seicht gerunzelt, starker und dichter 

 punktirt, auch etwas dunkler als die vorhergehende gefarbt, mit der- 

 selben angleichenorten lebend.... ^4^no^es obscurus. 



Beling further says that the larva of Agriotes usfulatus Schall. is 

 similar, but is smaller. He adds that the larva of A. obscurus seems 

 more strongly and thickly hairy (punktirt) and wrinkled than lineatus ; 

 but characteristic differences remain to be found. His description of 

 the lineatus larva would apply equally well to that of A. obscurus. 



The position of the muscle attachments on the anal segment seemed 

 to hold out a hope of identification, as the one illustrated by Schiodte 

 differed in position from those observed by the author. This is un- 

 fortunately of little account, as the method of preserving the larva 

 affects the position. If the larva is simply killed by being immersed 

 in alcohol, it usually contracts, and the wrinkling of the skin and the 

 position of the muscle attachment, shown in Schiodte, are obtained. 

 Boiling the larva, and then passing it through different strengths of 

 alcohol, preserve it naturally. Neither the muscle attachment placed 

 so closely to the base, nor the wrinkled skin as figured by Schiodte, 

 is ever seen in living or properly preserved specimens. There is a 

 difference, however, between the pseudopodia. Schiodte figures the 

 pseudopodium proper (as distinct from its base), as exhibiting three 

 divisions, the third probably pertaining to the non-chitinous and 

 fleshy tip. In the larvae examined by the author, there were never 

 more than two (including the fleshy tip). As there is no reason to 

 suppose Schiodte's figure is incorrect, this difference of the pseudo- 

 podium must be taken as specific. The mandible figured above 

 (Plate XVII, fig. 7) differs from that of Schiodte. 



A number of mandibles (both left and right) were examined and 



