153 
Our data show about thirty cases of oviposition by seven of our 
species in our breeding-cages, ranging in date from the ist of June 
to the middle of July.* As the beetles have begun to emerge more 
than two months earlier, it is likely that they spend some time in 
feeding before oviposition begins. In the Eighteenth Report of 
this office it is said (p. ii8) that the statement commonly made to 
the effect that the eggs are laid in a ball of earth is clearly errone- 
ous. This assertion must be corrected in the light of numerous ex- 
periments made in my insectary in 1906 with May-beetles of several 
species, all of which so deposited their eggs in the ground that each 
was found inclosed within an earthen ball, a half inch in diameter, 
probably formed by the extrusion with the tgg of an adhesive fluid 
which, upon hardening, held together the particles of earth which it 
had penetrated. This method of inclosure was so general that eggs 
were most easily found by sifting the dirt in breeding-cages and 
breaking open the spherical pellets of earth thus separated. The 
eggs were laid at depths varying from not more than an inch to 
five or six inches below the surface, the number for each female 
varying from 44 for a specimen of L. inversa to 67 for L. impUcita. 
The following extract from the breeding-cage report of Mr. J. 
J. Davis will give additional particulars of interest. 
L. inversa. June 12, 1906, i female beetle in breeding-cage. 
June 18, the earth examined and 44 eggs found, each in a ball of 
earth from 3 to 35^ inches below the surface. Eggs of a pure milky 
color and of an oval shape, measuring 1^X2 mm. By the end of 
three days they had swollen to a nearly spherical form, now measur- 
ing 2X2^ mm. Hatching first observed July 11. 
L. hirticula. Beetles collected and placed in breeding-cage June 
19, 1906. No eggs were found till July 2, but July 9, 6 were found, 
each in its ball of earth. The freshest eggs were white with a 
glossy luster. They measured at first from i^^ X 2 mm. to 2 X 2]/^ 
mm. Eive days later these eggs had swollen to 2 mm. in diameter, 
and were 2^ to 2^ mm. in length. 
L. ephelida. A single egg obtained August 4, 1905, from beetles 
collected at Carbondale, 111., July 26, and placed in breeding-cage 
in insectary July 29. This egg was comparatively small and defi- 
nitely oval, measuring at first 1^X2 mm., and later 1^X2 mm. 
L. ilicis. From beetles collected June 19, 1906, eggs were found 
in oval balls of earth July 9, none having been present there on the 
2d of that month. The eggs were a dull white, quite different from 
the glossy luster of those of L. hirticula. They measured at first 
* A specimen of L. ff/ic/iJa^iaUen July 20, 1905, at Carbondale, in southern Illinois, laid 
egg's until August 4. 
