"f 
not leave the cell in which they had undergone their transformations 
did 
in the breeding cages, until the following spring, which would indicate 
that they normally pass the winter in the ground. Harris says, how- 
ever, that they are found under the bark of trees, where they pass the 
winter, having completed their transformation in the previous autumn. 
Dr. Fitch says that the beetles are most abundant during the months of 
April, May, and June. Their numbers then diminish, and only a few 
are to be found in August, but they are again quite numerous in Sep- 
tember and the following months. 
In the collections of the office the beetles have been most abundant 
~in April. Electric-light collections of Melanotus were made in May and 
June; and in November, December, and February, communis has been 
taken in crevices of decaying logs and under bark in the woods. 
Deseription—The larve vary considerably in size at maturity, but 
may be from 20 to 25 mm. long. 
“They are subcylindrical in form, nearly smooth, shining, and of 
a light brown color, with the head, thoracic and last segments consider- 
ably darker, and the venter and margins of the segments lighter in 
color. Body sparsely hairy, and each segment marked on the sides just 
dorsad of the spiracles with a linear impression. ‘The cephalic border 
of the segments is slightly elevated and rendered distinct from the rest 
of the segment by a wavy dark border. Touching this border on each 
side of the dorsum of the segments, is a large, dark, elliptical, striated 
muscular impression. The caudal segment is much flattened, has no 
caudal notch, but ends in a short, blunt, horny tubercle. On each side 
of this tubercle the margin is very obtusely notched, forming two wave- 
like projections. The dorsum of the segment is much roughened and 
marked by four linear impressions near the cephalic border, and a 
similar mesal depression on the, dorsum near the caudal extremity. 
“The change to a pupa takes place during July. The mature larva 
forms an earthen cell similar and probably made in a similar manner 
to the cell of the wheat wireworm. This cell is about three fourths of 
an inch in length and three eighths of an inch wide. Soon after the 
cell is finished the skin of the larva opens at the sutures on the top of 
the head and along the median line on the dorsum of the following three 
or four segments. The white and tender pupa then works itself out, 
leaving the cast larval skin crowded into one end of the cell. The wing- 
pads, legs, and antenne of the pupa are folded closely on the breast. 
In other respects it resembles the beetle, but is nearly one fourth longer, 
and the nine segments of the abdomen are distinctly visible. It is much 
larger than the pupa of the wheat wireworm, and in addition to the long 
sharp bristle at each angle of the thorax it has two similar shorter ones, 
one each side of the mesal linear depression near the caudal border of 
the thorax.” 
“The change to a beetle takes place in about one month. The 
rather slender, glossy, dark brown beetle varies from 11 mm. to 15 mm. 
in length, and its body is closely punctured and clothed with fine, short, 
incumbent grayish hairs. The wing-covers are striated by deep oblong 
punctures, the intervening spaces flat and minutely punctured. The 
mouth parts are on the anterior portion of the head, and the front is 
slightly flattened but distinctly margined back of the labrum. The an- 
