30 The Cane Grubs of Australia. 
PROPORTION OF THE SEXES. 
The following table summarises the relative number of the sexes at 
different times during the beetle season :— 
ee | Source. Date. Males. Females. Total. Proportion. 
1 | Unemerged. cages .. | October .. ll 8 19 
2 | Unemerged, field .. | October .. 5 4 9 
3 |Emerged  .. ee October) War 2 26 2 
4 | Unemerged, cages .. | November 58 al 129 
5 | Unemerged, field .. | November 12 3 15 
6 |Emerged .. .. | November 45 22 67 
7 | Unemerged, cages .. | December.. 53 20 73 
8 | Unemerged, field .. | December.. 7 6 13 
9 |Emerged  .. .. | December. . 7197 Tol 1,528 
10 | Unemerged, cages .. | January 56 oa | 
11 | Unemerged, field ..| January .. 3 3 6 
12 |Emerged .. ..| January .. 558 | 909 1,467 | 
13 |Emerged .. -. | February .. 12 59 rds il 
14 | Miscellaneous 56 ae 32 23 55 
1,595 1,859 | 3,454 145: 169 
FLIGHT or ADULTS. 
The adults of this species are capable of flying considerable dis- 
tances; we have followed them in flight as far as the eye would allow. 
MATING. 
The manner of mating is normal for Coleoptera. The act follows 
upon a period of feeding. 
DEVELOPMENT OF EGGS IN THE OVARIES. 
Upon emergence from the soil, the ovaries of the female are practi- 
cally empty, development advancing as food is taken. Mating may occur 
before the eggs in the ovaries have reached perfection. Nearly ten days 
or even more elapse between emergence and perfect development of the 
ovaries. 
Number or Eaes Lap. 
The largest number of eggs found by dissection was 24, on November 
27. This seemed to be the full amount, the eggs equal in size and perfect. 
Other dissections, unfortunately, were made too early, resulting in 
finding the ovaries empty. 
The largest number of eggs deposited by a female (captured from 
forest February 17, and confined with food) was 24; these were in a 
rude cell with the dead body of the mother insect. Adults taken from 
cages or from the soil before natural emergence would never deposit 
eggs, for the reason that the eggs were never developed in the ovaries. 
Ags these latter would never feed either, it would seem certain that the 
eggs do not develop until food is taken. Adults which have fed (captured 
from forested areas), when brought into the laboratory and starved, 
deposit eggs. 
THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF THE SPECIES. 
This is best shown by counting the larve of random collections. The 
following summary then includes every soil-inhabiting grub collected and 
identified by us: 
