250 ROSE-BUG ITS HISTORY AND CHANGES. 



within the time specified, one of the active managers of the so- 

 ciety, John Lowell Esq., the following year drew up an interest- 

 ing statement of the facts in its history which had fallen under 

 his observation, which was published in the Massachusetts 

 Agric. Repository, vol. ix, p. 143. In the succeeding volume of 

 the same publication appeared, in July 1827, Dr. Harris's essay 

 already referred to, entitled u Minutes towards a history of some 

 American species of Melolonthidse particularly injurious to veg- 

 etation,"' to which the prize which had previously been offered 

 was awarded. And shortly afterwards a communication from 

 Dr. Green appeared in the New England Farmer (vol. vi, p. 41 

 &c.) giving additional information respecting this insect. These 

 are the principal articles upon the rose-bug which have hitherto 

 been published; and from them w T e learn that its history and 

 transformations are as follows. 



The insects make their appearance suddenly, in incredible 

 numbers. Esq. Lowell states that in 1826 not a rose-bug was 

 visible on the last day of May. On the first of June at eight o'- 

 clock in the morning he gathered a mess of peas, and not a bug 

 was then to be seen on the vines. At 10 o'clock happening to 

 visit the vines again, they were literally overrun with rose-bugs 

 of both sexes, generally paired or double. He proceeded to 

 kill them by hand. Three hours afterwards they had appeared 

 upon some row r s of bush beans to the number of some thousands. 

 These w r ere all killed, and then on returning to the peas to see 

 if any there had been overlooked, he found the vines as full as 

 before. The next day he found them upon his corn, then only 

 six inches high, twenty-five bugs being counted upon a single 

 leaf, and one hundred and five on one of the hills. They also 

 attacked his young cherry trees, and in twelve hours completely 

 stripped them of their leaves. He says it would be but a mode- 

 rate computation to allow that they killed a hundred thousand 

 of these insects on a quarter of an acre. They followed them 

 up regularly every morning, for a week, and thus nearly sub- 

 dued them upon that piece of ground. 



They continue about a month, and then all disappear. To- 

 wards the close of their lives the females crawl an inch or more 



