66 CALOSOMA SYCOPHANTA. 



to see if they showed signs of life. At the end of this period, as they 

 were apparently dead, they were removed, but in less than an hour 

 they revived sufficiently to begin feeding on cutworms. 



This experiment shows that beetles of this species can live for at 

 least 4 days and probably longer, if submerged in water a few degrees 

 above the freezing point. 



March 17, 1910, several small wire cages, used for feeding larvae, 

 each of which contained a newly formed beetle, were dug up and 

 submerged in a tub of water to see if the insects would survive this 

 treatment. There were several inches of frost on the top of each cage, 

 and the temperature of the water was about 39° F. March 18, at 

 8 a. m., 1 female had emerged and was clinging to the wire just above 

 the water. An examination of the earth in this cage showed that 

 the hibernation cavity was about 6 inches deep anid as soon as it 

 thawed out the insect made its way to the surface of the water. 



Another cage was examined after it had been submerged 24 hours 

 and a living beetle was found 3^ inches below the surface of the earth. 

 The cage was replaced and removed later in the day and it was found 

 that the beetle had worked its way to a point a half inch below the 

 surface of the earth. It appeared dead but on removal soon revived. 



At the end of 48 hours another cage was examined, and a live beetle 

 found 3^ inches below the surface of the earth. This cage was re- 

 placed and on the following morning after it had been submerged for 

 2^ days the beetle was found on the surface of the water. 



The last cage was opened at the end of 4 days, and an active female 

 was found in the earth which was now very compact. The beetle 

 was replaced in the mud and the cage submerged, but at 3.10 p. m. 

 came to the surface of the water after having remained beneath it 

 4 days and 2 hours. 



These experiments indicate that this species is able to withstand 

 excessive amounts of moisture and that in the spring when lowlands 

 are flooded the majority of the insects will survive, apparently with- 

 out serious inconvenience. 



On March 21 a female Calosoma beetle that had been submerged 

 for 4 days and 2 hours was placed in a tub of water and floated about 

 on the surface. It seemed desirable to ascertain how long the insect 

 would remain alive and float when the water was maintained at about 

 39° F., and also whether it was able to make any progress in swim- 

 ming. During the first hour and fifteen minutes the insect swam 

 a distance of 22 inches. It rested on the water very easily, less than 

 one-half of the body being submerged. The legs were moved con- 

 tinually, but its progress was very slow. This beetle remained in 

 the tub of water 15 da3^s and at the end of that period was removed 

 for dead. In a few hours it revived and began feeding, and was used 

 later in tlie summcn' in rearing experiments. Tliis shows that in the 



