NOTKS ON PSYLMODKS CHRYSOCKPHALA. QH) 



On May 21st the larvae were passing into the pupal state 

 in earlh near tlie turnips, and, in all the specimens observed, 

 lay either immediately beneath the surface or about half an 

 inch beneath, but not in formed cells, — simply in earth, 

 necessarily smoothed by the presence of the pupae, which 

 were placed indiflferently in horizontal or vertical direction. 



On May 28th the turnip stems appeared deserted by the 

 larvae, though a few might still be found unchanged in the 

 earth with the pupae. The pupae were of a yellowish colour, 

 about an eighth of an inch in length, and sprinkled with 

 stout hairs, both in transverse lines on the segments and 

 also on the back of the thorax. The shape narrowly oval, 

 tapering gradually to the caudal extremity, and leru)inated 

 in a somewhat hniate form by two appendages, consisting 

 (as seen magnified) of a bulb narrowed suddenly into a pro- 

 longed cylindrical process curved inwards, and slightly 

 tapering to its blunt extremity, the bristles with which the 

 whole appendage is covered being arranged in longitudinal 

 striae along the bulb, and in successive siieathing rings 

 gradually narrowing towards the extremity on the cylindrical 

 prolongation, u)uch resembling in miniature the sheatl)ing of 

 the flowering stems of some of the Equisetac. Fig. 2, c, gives 

 the appearance of the bulb magnified, and at its side a still 

 more enlarged sketch of tiie sheaths of the cylindrical 

 prolongation. 



On June 3rd the pupae nearest the surface of the soil had 

 begun to change colour previous to complete development ; 

 and on the 21st the perfect beetles were to be found on the 

 surface, the collections of isolated specimens which had 

 been placed in the driest situations, showing the greatest 

 number of beetles. All, with one exception, turned out 

 typical specimens of Psylliodes chri/Hocephala, too well 

 known to require description ; the solitary exception, 

 however, proving of some interest as a specimen of the 

 Psylliodes niyricoUis, considered sometimes rather a variety 

 of the P. chrysocephala than a distinct species. The mere 

 finding of this beetle with the others, without having 

 especially observed the individual larva it proceeded from, of 

 course leaves this question still open ; but the plants infested 

 with the larvae having been selected and isolated with great 

 care it points to a similarity in food, locality, and life- 

 history. 



Looked at economically the Psylliodes presence seems of 

 little moment, except in the decay induced in the turnip 



