SEASONAL HISTORY. 45 



Items 8 and 9 (wood and clods) sheltered practically all the beetles. 

 The last-named item included paraffin roofino;, old bottles, pottery, 

 etc. The wdde (Uversity of this hst shows that the beetles are not 

 very particular about the character of their shelter. 



It is interesting at this time to note that no beetles were taken 

 from under charred beets or wood ashes. This point was well illus- 

 trated in the corner of one of the fields which proved to be the choicest 

 collecting: ground. It happened that in this place a large amount 

 of rubbish hail been burned the pre\^ous year, and about liaK the old 

 beets lying about on the ground were charred. Adults were taken 

 in numbers from this corner daily, but not one was ever found under 

 the beets which were charred. The same thing was true of the wood 

 ashes. 



The numbers of beetles taken friun single beets were much larger 

 than might have been expected. As has been stated before, as many 

 as 243 have been taken from under a single beet, and on one occa- 

 sion 187 were taken from under a single beet top which was less than 

 3 inches in diameter. The concave top was entirely filled with the 

 beetles, wliich in some jilaces were piled from 2 to 4 deep. 



Occurrence: of Beetles in the Field. 



Up to the middle of March the adults are found close to their 

 hibernating quarters, either feeding ' r sumiing themselves. At about 

 tliis time, however, there is a general disperstd ( f beetles, and their 

 collection becomes a difficult matter. Flight is of common occur- 

 rence, as is copulation. The writer watched many beetles wliich 

 were moving about the fields, to see what they were doing, but to 

 all appearances they did nothing except wander about. Some were 

 watched to see if they w^ould oviposit, but nothing of this kind was 

 noted. ^ To judge from their actions in the laboratory cages, these 

 adults were moving about preparatory to bmTowing into the soil for 

 oviposition. 



Effect of Food in the Field on Dissemination. 



In the latter part of their secondary liibernation, and before they 

 scatter through the fields, their presence depends very much on two 

 factors, namel}^, food and hibernating cpiarters. Once they begin 

 moving they feed very little, and food seems to have no effect on the 

 direction or amount of their movement. 



As this is, economically, the critical point in the life of the adults — 

 since where they collect, the eggs will be laid — they were watched 

 carefully to see if there were any factors which governed their dis- 

 persal through the fields. The amount of food and the size cf the 



1 Subsequent rearing work in the laboratory proved that this was quite too early for oviposition. 



