passed throug-h their earlier stages, provided that these fields have 

 been undisturbed. 



(tKnekal Pkkventivk Mkasukk. 



From this it follows — and experience has amply confirmed the 

 conclusion — that if a field of grass infested by corn bill-bugs be 

 plowed in fall before the time of insect hibernation has begun it 

 will be but lightly infested by them, if at all, the following year. 

 Karly fall or summer plowing of grass lands intended for corn is 

 thus an effective measure of prevention against injury to that crop 

 the following year. 



Injury to corn by these beetles has now become so frequent and 

 in some cases so severe, and the facts concerning the species are so 

 little known, that a full detail of our present knowledge which 

 bears on the subject in a practical way seems to be particularly de- 

 sirable. 



The Little Brown Bill- hug; the Blue-okass Bill bug. 



{ SplioiopJioms parviili($ (iyll. ) 

 Sphciiop/ionis pari'ii/iis, one of the smallest of the bill-bugs, is 

 essentially an upland species, breeding commonly in the ordinary 

 cultivated grasses, especially in blue-grass and timothy. It is 

 sometimes abundant in city lawns ; it is one of the species responsi- 

 ble for a considerable injury to timothy meadows; and it frequently 

 infests corn following upon the meadow grasses, although, owing 

 to its small size, its injuries to this crop are comparatively slight 

 except while the plant is young. 



This little bill-bug is better represented in our collections than 

 any other species, and as we have repeatedly reared it from the 

 larva to the imago in confinement we have a comparatively full 

 knowledge of its life history. On this account it will be convenient 

 to treat it first in this discussion in order that it may be used as a 

 standard of comparison for the species whose life histories are less 

 fully known. 



DISCUSSION OF LIFE IIISTOXY. 



Ocnirroiccs of the Adiill l>cclh\ We have forty-one Illinios 

 collections of the adult beetle of this species recorded, extending 

 from March 18 to October, and representing thirteen years between 

 1882 and 1901. A serial account of these collections, in order of 

 the calendar but disregarding the years, will enable us to trace the 

 species fairly well through the season and to note the variations 

 and transformations of its habits and its food. 



