43 



to 9 mm. The larger members of this genus are quite commonly 

 seen in pastures and along roads, rolling a ball of dung, which is 

 to serve as the food of the larva. When a proper place is reached, 

 the ball is buried in the ground and the female deposits an egg in 

 one side of it. Comstock interprets the rolling habit as affording 

 protection to the larva, which would othei*wise be in danger from 

 the predaceous insects normally present in the masses of dung from 

 which the balls are removed. Nigricornis is never abundant. It 

 may be restricted to sand. Blatchley records only two specimens, — 

 from Starke County, Indiana. One specimen from the Devil's Hole 

 was taken in the burrow of a field-mouse in the bunch-grass; an- 

 other was taken in a bottle trap. 

 Canthon laevis Drury. April i. 



This is the very common tumble-bug which is common over the 

 eastern United States. It is probably not found in habitats where 

 the soil is pure sand. One dead specimen was taken along the lane 

 leading to the bunch-grass pasture, in sandy loam soil, under a log. 



Canthon zngilans Lee. July 3. 



This species, which is larger than C. laez'is, is found from Penn- 

 sylvania and Ohio westward. It is much less common than C. laevis. 

 Found in a mole tunnel in the Devil's Hole pasture. 



Copris Carolina Linn. July 3. 



Species of the genus Copris do not transport balls of dung to 

 any considerable distance, but bury them on or near the spot where 

 they are found. The writer has dug them from burrows made in 

 the hard clay of a street corner, under electric lights in towns. It 

 is a very common species in pastures or along roadsides. The one 

 dead specimen found, was in the middle of an extensive bare area 

 of blowsand at the Devil's Hole. 



Onthophagiis pcnnsylvaniciis Harold. April 7. 



A common and generally distributed scarabaeid, found in carrion 

 and excrement. Resembles a small Canthon superficially. O. hecate 

 is the common species in other parts of Illinois ; but in the sand 

 O. pennsylvanictts apparently dominates. One specimen was found 

 crawling alx)ut on blowsand at the Devil's Neck ; a second was taken 

 under cow-chips. 



Aphodius Hmctarius Linn. April i. 



This species was originally introduced from Europe, and is now 

 widely distributed. Found commonly in or beneath half-dry cow- 

 dung. Two specimens under cow-chips in sandv lane near Devil's 

 Hole. 



