February, '16] HAYES: maize bill-bug 121 



City, Hackney, Dexter, Rock, Kellogg, Leon, Marion, Peabody, and 

 Greenwood County. 



The bill-bug is found principally along river bottoms, where its 

 greatest damage to corn is done. It is also found doing slight injury 

 on the second bottom land and rarely on upland. In neither case is 

 the damage appreciable compared to the lowland ravages. In low- 

 lands, preference is also shown to plants on heavy gumbo soils, corn 

 on sandy soils being not so seriously injured. 



Means of Dispersal 



The rate of dispersal of the maize bill-bug under natural conditions 

 must necessarily be slow, for, although wings are present under the 

 elytra, the insect was not once observed during the two seasons to 

 attempt flight. Because of this fact, adults were easily kept all 

 summer in open Mason jars. 



Floods are probably a small factor of dispersion. During the 1915 

 season, three adults were observed being carried by the high waters 

 but, as a rule, during floods they burrow into the soil and are un- 

 affected. Adults can live for many hours in water. Mr. J. C. 

 Delaney reports an uninfested field some years ago becoming infested 

 after a heavy rain from water coming from a higher, infested field. 

 Driftwood may play an unimportant part in their spread. 



In two southern Kansas counties, two theories are held to account 

 for the introduction of the "elephant bug." In Greenwood County, 

 the farmers along Wild Cat Creek are positive that a Mr. Chain in- 

 troduced them from Texas with cattle bedding about 1896. In Cowley 

 County on Grouse Creek, a Mr. Barney Ish is accused of introducing 

 them in the same manner. 



Chaeacter of Injury > 



The corn plant is subject to damage from both the adult and larva. 

 Feeding punctures of the adult kill a large number of young plants 

 soon after they break through the ground. The punctured plants do 

 not show much damage externally but closer examination reveals large 

 cavities gouged out beneath the narrow,, slit-like opening. These 

 punctures, if made in a curled leaf, will cause it, when unrolled, to show 

 rows of holes similar to the damage done by the smaller bill-bugs. 

 These feeding holes are made either just below or above the surface of 

 the ground. Sometimes they are made in the germinating seed and 

 even in the tender roots. This feeding generally causes the plant to 

 become twisted and distorted and many are killed outright. Similar 

 punctures were observed in cane and kafir, both in the field and lab- 

 oratory. In rearing cages, punctures were likewise made in feterita 



