THE SO-CALLED ‘‘ CURLEW BUG.”’ 61 
feeding thereon. Later, roots sent to the bureau by Mr. Swindell 
contained larve in both the crowns and roots. In nearly every case 
there was a cavity containing a larva in the crown of the plant just 
above the roots. 
Mr. S. L. Willard, Washington, N. C., under date of July 20, 1893, 
complained also of injury to rice, stating that the depredations had 
been observed in his neighborhood since 1886. 
Under date of July, 1895, Mr. B. A. Hallet, of Mount Olive, N.C., 
complained that the insect had completely destroyed the upland rice 
crop of that section. 
In August, 1910, Mr. J. W. Mason, of Edenton, N. C., through 
Representative J. H. Small, stated that the insect had attacked both 
corn and peanuts in his neighborhood, killmg corn and seriously 
injuring peanuts. 
Mr. R. I. Smith, of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment 
Station, states that where rice is grown this grain appears to be its 
favorite food, as the insect is ten times more abundant in rice fields 
than in cornfields. The eggs are placed in the corn plant above the 
roots, as shown in figure 21,6. The larvee work downward, eventually 
pupating at the lower end of the root, as shown in figure 21, «. 
In nearly all of our records of injuries by this species, attention is 
called to the fact that its attacks are upon low or swampy land. 
The very nature of its food plants would indicate that the natural 
habitat of this species is in low or swampy lands. In a great many 
cases such lands are either subject to overflow or the plants are more 
or less submerged in water for considerable periods of time. While 
the insect is not aquatic, it most certainly is capable of living and 
developing on submerged plants without suffermg material incon- 
venience therefrom. In the cornfields they are often found working 
several inches below the surface of soil thoroughly saturated with 
water. Farther on, it will be noted that the adult can also live sub- 
merged in water without apparent inconvenience. 
INJURIES TO CORN BY LARVA. 
While, as will be shown, corn is injured both by adults and larve, 
attacks by the latter are by far the most fatal to the plant. Good 
illustrations of a serious attack from a larva of this species are shown 
in Plates VI, VI, and VIII, from photographs of a field belonging to 
the Messrs. Shannonhouse, on Harveys Neck, N.C., along the shore of 
Albemarle Sound. While it is probably true that the insect is much 
more abundant in rice fields, it must be borne in mind that the area 
of rice culture is very small compared with that of corn. While 
local injuries to rice may be very severe, nevertheless the greatest 
losses from attacks of this insect most certainly fall upon corn grow- 
ers, especially those whose fields are on low or bottom lands. As 
