19 
he finds the roots dying with the worms inside them, as soon as 
the corn is up. At Millington, the larve were seen in the roots of 
the corn in July of the present year by Mr. Finney, of that place, 
‘and on the 26th of July, 1882, they were likewise seen again by 
Dr. Boardman. Mr. Bascom, of Sandwich, noticed them in the 
corn early in August of the same year. On the iSth of that month, 
I found them very abundant on Dr. Boardman’s place, in Stark 
county, where nearly all remaining were fully grown. One was 
noticed, however, only .15 of an inch in length. They were con- 
tinuously observed by Mr. F. M. Webster and myself in McLean 
and DeKalb counties throughout the remainder of August. By Sep- 
~ tember, however, they had apparently all transformed, and I find 
no mention in our notes of their appearance again during the fall, 
although the roots of corn and all other suitable situations were 
thoroughly searched again and again until the middle of November. 
There is consequently every reason to suppose that the eggs com- 
mence to hatch soon after the corn appears above the ground in 
spring, and that the larve begin at once to work upon the roots, 
but all get their growth and pupate before September, some cer- 
tainly maintaining the larval condition until that date. Published 
mention of the occurrence of the larve in November in the roots of 
ragweed and other plants, has once or twice been made; but the 
fact that the slender grubs of Diptera commonly occur in such sit- 
uations, and that these have already been several times mistaken 
for the corn root-worm, together with the fact that neither Dr. 
Boardman, Mr. Webster, nor myself have been able to find these 
worms later than September of this year, either in the cornfields 
or in wheat, or in the roots of any plant outside the fields, after 
the most careful, protracted, and oft repeated search under the 
most favorable circumstances, makes it likely that the reports above 
mentioned were incorrect. The extreme lateness and unusual warmth 
of the season this fall, would certainly have brought out the larve, 
if the eggs ever hatch at that time of the year. 
The fact stated by Mr. D. 8. Harris, in a letter to me, that one 
of his neighbors lost a field of corn by these worms, which was 
planted about the first of July, 1882, is the only evidence we have 
of the time to which the hatching of the eggs is continued. Mr. 
Harris is also very positive that he found these larve very abund- 
ant in the stems of the garden purslane (Portulaca oleracea), and a 
few of them also in the roots of ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiefolia) 
and lamb’s-quarter (Chenopodiwm album), weeds growing in an 
affected corn-field. 
Pupa—the earliest date at which the pupa has been observed is one 
given by Dr. Boardman, namely, the 29th of June; but the adult beetle 
has been seen a little earlier, and the pupa doubtless sometimes forms 
’ by June 15. I have no record of the occurrence of the insect in this 
State during July; but it was again reported by Dr. Boardman on the 
5th of August, and was found by me abundantly on the 18th of the 
same month. In DeKalb county pupe were noticed by Mr. Webster on 
the 21st of August, and also on the 24th, and again upon the 26th, 
but were not found in any of the hills examined later than this date. 
The transformations, therefore, beginning in the middle of June are 
