MKTHOnS OK RKAIMNC DKl'/II.I'.S. 



21 



a celliir iluriiii;- iJic winter, and youiiji; beetles were recovered in (Jic 

 spring. Otlier pupjr were removed from t]ie jai's and ])laced in out- 

 of-doors cages. It was necessary to construct an artificial chamber 

 in the earth in which to })lace each j)upa, and this was done success- 

 fully in a few cases, A better plan is to allow tJie larva to make its 

 pupal cell and not to permit the earth to be disturbed until the fol- 

 lowing spring. 



The method above described of learing these beetles was so satis- 

 I'actor}' that in the sprmg of 1908 an attempt was made to rear larvae 

 for hberation in field colonies. By holding some of the shipments of 

 beetles that arrived late in the summer of 1907 and placing tliem in 

 large hibernation cages it was possible to have a stock of breeders 

 ready for use as soon as desired in the spring. 



Fii;. IJ. -.rars of earth containinsr eggs of Calasoma sycupfianta. They have been pliieeri in tlic sun 



to hasten hutching. (Original.) 



The result of the work for the yeav was the rearing for colonization 

 of 2,300 larvae. During the following year this line of work was con- 

 tinued and 6,100 additional larva? were placed hi field colonies, antl 

 in 1910 6,380 were reared and liberated. When larva^ are being 

 reared for liberation in field colonies it is desirable to hasten their 

 development as much as ])ossible. They are given an abundance of 

 food and the jars containing eggs (fig. 12) aie ])laced hi tlie sun on 

 cool days to accelerate hatclnng. The method of libeiating larval 

 colonies enables the species to become established over a much wider 

 range and also gives it a better chance of surviving, owmg to the vary- 

 ing conditions and locations in which it can l)e placed. 



