FIELD NOTES ON TIGER BEETLES OF INDIANA. 449 



Orange County. Four collections were made in tliis county, with West 

 Baden and French Lick as centers. The dates were as follows — September 

 10, 1915, May 6, May 30, and September 14, 1916. On May 6, 1916 (after 

 collecting a few solitary' specimens of C. sexguttata and C repanda from among 

 the hills and valleys), a very productive colony C. sexguttata was discovered. 

 The gravel beds along the stream and the limestone rocks projecting from 

 the water, seemed to be the most satisfactory feeding, sunning and mating 

 places. The gravel banks, overlaid with sandy loam, were found to be the 

 winter homes. Here many places were noted where the burrows were so 

 numerous that they honey-combed the bank. 



Since C. sexguttata were found to be more abundant in Orange county 

 than in any other field in the state, a special trip (May 30, 1916) was made 

 for the purpose of making a detailed study of the feeding habits of this species. 

 An old damp, Avoodland roadway proved to be the most satisfactory place 

 for this study. By lying in the dense shade, while observing the specimens 

 in the sun, I was enabled to get within two or three feet of them without 

 disturbing them. The wet roadway abounded in small winged ants, small 

 red and large black ants, gnats, flies, medium sized spiders, and various kinds 

 of worms. All of these were attacked mth equal "violence. However, in 

 ease of the larger and more active prey, the beetles would make a sudden 

 retreat if met by a counter attack. They usually made one dauntless charge, 

 and when repulsed gave up in fear. A few second attacks on large black 

 ants were noted, and in practically everj^ instance the prey returned the 

 assault and chased his enemj^ some distance. 



The observations made on the egg laying habits corroborate those of 

 Shelf ord on C. purpurea, "she holds the anterior part of the body as high as 

 possible and, extending the posterior part of the abdomen (oviposit er), she 

 digs a vertical hole with the gonapophyses of the adbomen, from 7 to 9 mm. 

 in depth. She tries the soil by making holes without laying any eggs. About 

 fifty eggs are laid, singly and large end uppermost in such uncovered holes 

 by one female." 



C punctulata was the only species found during the September ^^sits. 



Knox and Vigo Counties. A surv^ey of the river and hill regions at Vin- 

 cennes, and a similar surv^ey at Terre Haute were made in the month of 

 August, with practically the same results. In each locality C. repanda 

 swarmed the sand bars and barren river banks, while only a few scattered 

 specimens of C. punctulata were found in the upland corn, wheat and pasture 

 fields. The latter were more abundant along a private cattle drivewaj' near 

 Terre Haute, where they were attracted by dung maggots. 



Sullivan County. After making a close search through tlie hilly districts 

 about Sullivan, a large number of C. repanda was observed along the banks 

 of a brook which flowed through a meadow. On one small sand bar thej^ 

 were feeding upon small red ants. 



Colony after colony of these ants were devoured by a certain group of 

 beetles. At one time, twenty-seven of these greedy ant-eaters were counted 



