270 Forty-fourth Report on the State Museum 



its source to the fuel which was being used for the kitchen fires, 

 which consisted largely of the timber from a livery stable that had 

 been torn down during the preceding summer. 



In answer, the name was given and the assurance that they could 

 not have had their origin in the source supposed, as that would be 

 incompatible with their well-known habits, but that in all probability, 

 if search was made, some overlooked bag or package of beans would 

 be found from which they had escaped. A few days later, a letter 

 was received, announcing that a paper bag of beans had been brought 

 to light still swarming with the beetles and perforated with innumer- 

 able holes through which they had escaped. 



The specimens of which there were many, were uniformly at least 

 one-half smaller in size than the examjDles that had previously come 

 under my observation — the difference being so marked that I was 

 unwilling to trust my identification of the species until it was con- 

 firmed by Dr. Horn. In all probability the larvae had been dwarfed 

 in size from an insufficient food-supply, from the oviposition having 

 been unusually abundant, or possibly, from a second brood having 

 been produced from the same lot of beans. The "countless numbers" 

 in which the beetles appeared would seem to lend color to the latter 

 supposition, although I could find no record of such an occurrence, 

 nor had I previously deemed it possible, believing that ripened and 

 dried beans could not serve as food for the tender larvte. I was not 

 able to learn how long the bag of beans had been kept in the house. 



Are There Successive Broods Within Stored Beans ? 

 Addressing an inquiry to Mr. E. A. Schwarz, of the Eatomological 

 Division of the Agricultural Department at Washington, who is 

 perhaps our best authority on the early stages of the Coleoptera, if he 

 had any knowledge, either personal or from record, of the bean-weevil 

 undergoing all its changes within ripened and stored beans — with 

 his usual kindness, the following reply was sent: 



Although I can not refer you offhand to any special publication, I 

 am positive that there have been observations published showing that 

 Bruchus obsoletiis is able to breed for at least two consecutive genera- 

 tions in the same lot of beans, so that the second generation oviposits 

 on, and the larvse develop within, the dry beans. In the Cow-pea 

 Bruchus {B. scutellaris) this fact is well known and the beetle seems 

 to be able to live for an indefinite number of generations in the same 

 lot of beans. I also know that the Gleditchia Bruchus {Sjjermophagui^ 

 robinice) has been bred in at least two consecutive generations from 

 the same lot of seeds. 



Professor Popenoe has recently expressed his belief that he has 

 found evidence that the beetles continue to breed and develop in 



