168 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. i04 



taken. This might indicate a long period of burrowing activity from 

 February to October, but a relatively short time for above-groimd 

 activity, in which specimens would come to light. However, an 

 occasional specimen may be taken at light on any warm summer night. 



While the adults were fairly commonly collected at light at Oxford, 

 I was never able to locate burrows in the neighboring pasture or 

 woodland. Attempts to make the adults oviposit in cages were 

 completely unsuccessful, and it was only by chance that any informa- 

 tion concerning the larval habits was obtained. 



In a small, rather open pine woods on the inner coastal plain at 

 Faison, N. C, P. O. Kitcher and I located a colony of Bolboceras 

 (formerly Odontaeus) darlingtoni (Wallis), While digging up this 

 species, larval cells of Geotrupes hlackhurnii were found. Over a period 

 of a month, in two areas about 20 feet apart, we did considerable 

 digging for these species, disturbing a large amount of surface soil. 

 In these areas most of the ground vegetation had been killed or pulled 

 up. In one spot that had been disturbed a month previously, a fresh 

 burrow was noted on Sept. 4, 1951, and dug up. The burrow, con- 

 taining a female Jarctum, was almost vertical with a plug of yellow 

 sand at its opening, which was at the center of a typical push-up. 

 About 14 inches below the ground surface the female had the burrow 

 packed with very finely divided, black surface humus mixed with 

 sand. As this was the same material that Bolboceras darlingtoni 

 (Wallis) had been noted to provision for its larva, a very careful 

 examination of the material was made, but with no results. 



A further examination of the entire area was made on September 

 4, but no additional bm-rows were discovered until September 11 when 

 a fresh burrow was noted and marked with a stake. This burrow was 

 not disturbed until Oct. 31, 1951, when it was carefully excavated. 



The burrow itself was at the edge of an old dirt road that ran 

 through the area (pi. 16, figs. 1,2). Vegetation was rather sparse in 

 the sandy soil, but the immediate area had not been disturbed by 

 previous digging. Partial shade was afforded by a single loblolly 

 pine, and there were a few clumps of Andropogon. Other than that 

 the ground was bare. The entrance of the burrow, was marked by 

 the usual push-up, a mound of yellow^sand 3 to 4 inches in diameter 

 and about 2 inches high. When the burrow was excavated the rain 

 had almost obliterated the push-up and burrow entrance. 



The vertical burrow (diagrammed on pi. 10, fig. 3) was open 8 

 inches. It then was filled with sand that was slightly darker than 

 the sand of the surrounding subsoil. This portion continued to a 

 depth of 16 inches and was slightly sinuate, but generally vertical. 

 At the 16-inch level all trace of the burrow was lost, but digging was 

 continued. At 18 inches the burrow suddenly reappeared, this time 



