9 
potato. Each day the soil was thoroughly searched for 
cast larval skins and at the same time the larve were 
examined. Even so the number of moults has not been 
determined for all, as the larve have apparently the habit 
of eating thier cast skins. Only the records of those that 
successfully completed their life history are given. They 
form but a small proportion of those with which the ° 
rearing commenced. 
The Insectary Records——In the Insectary beetles were 
got to lay eggs from December to June and again in 
August. EHges were laid as early as a month after emer- 
-gence. lLarve were reared successfully both during the 
first and second halves of the year with this difference 
that those reared during January to June took only halt 
the time that the second lot grown during the monsoon 
and cold weather took. ; 
In the field—Larvee are usually observed only dur- 
ing January to May or June. Assoon as the early rains 
are received the larvee pupate and emerge as beetles and 
reproduction does not commence until December or Jan- 
uary following. Beetles caught in the field and dissected 
did not show developed eges until October. During this 
long interval between emergence and reproduction, of nearly 
six to seven months, the beetles are sluggish and inactive. 
It is during this period that the beetles sometimes seek the 
shelter of human habitations or as Lefroy observed crowd 
in thousands on plants to escape the wet in the soil. 
When the weather warms up beetles become active and 
breeding commences. This may happen as early as De- 
cember. At this time adults may occasionally be caught 
at light. The possibility of a second brood has to be ad- 
mitted. The shortest period taken to complete the life 
history being two months and eleven days there may be 
two broods within the first six months of the year. But 
considering the large number of grown up larvae which 
are found inactive during the hot weather, as it were wait- 
ing for the rains to pupate, it seems unlikely that under 
ordinary conditions of normal weather there is more than 
one generation during the year. 
The interpretation of the records.—The striking fea- 
ture of the records tabulated below is the wide range in 
the duration of larval life. The duration of corresponding 
instars also varies enormously. ‘The third instar ranges 
from four to twenty-seven days while the eighth from 
seven to twelve days. ‘These variations are in regard to 
