260 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. loi 



Geotrupes batyi Jekel has often been recorded from the wooded 

 Northeastern States and also has been frequently found during July 

 and August in the mountains of North Carolina, South Carolina, 

 and Tennessee. 



During August and September I collected a number of specimens 

 at Mills River, N. C. The beetles in most cases had made burrows 

 2 to 5 inches deep at the base of several species of fungi. Into these 

 burrows they had taken small bits of the fungi on which they were 

 feeding. Dr. Harry Fink, North Carolina Experiment Station at 

 Mills River, later identified the fungi as Clitocybe gigantea (Fries) 

 Quelet and Bussula emeiica (Fries) Kummer. 



The beetles were taken in wooded areas and not in open pasture 

 land. None were noted at cow dung, but several specimens were 

 taken at what may have been human feces. Other specimens were 

 collected in traps baited with butyric acid or fermenting malt. 



Numerous specimens of Qeotrwpes balyi bore the label "fungi." 

 Moennich (1939, p. 156) states that balyi was collected at Midvale, 

 N. J., on the fungus Lactarius piperalus (Fries) Quelet. Another 

 reference to balyi, by Manee (1908a, p. 288), states that specimens 

 from Southern Pines, N. C, were collected not only at animal drop- 

 pings but on decaying fruit, watermelon, etc. This reference caused 

 me some doubts, as specimens from Southern Pines would not ovAy 

 be considerably out of their range for th^ species in North Carolina, 

 but the reference to animal droppings itself was unusual. Later, I 

 noted than a number of Manee's Southern Pines specimens in the 

 North Carolina Department of Agriculture collection were identified 

 as balyi when, in actuality, they were egeriei. It would seem that 

 Manee's note (1908a, p. 288) should be referred to egeriei, which is 

 a common species at Southern Pines. Other references to balyi are 

 scattered and usually merely mention its capture. 



Nothing has been written, to my knowledge, about the larval 

 biology of this species. 



Specimens examined: 401. 



CANADA 



QUEBEC: 5 specimens. Fort Coulonge, Isle of Orleans, Val Morin; (2) June, 

 (3) August. 



UNITED STATES 



CONNECTICUT: 21 specimens. Cornwall, Eastford, Stamford, Union (Tol- 

 land County); (3) July, (13) August (2) October. 

 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: 1 specimen. No data. 

 GEORGIA: 1 specimen. Tray Mountain; (1) September. 

 ILLINOIS: 3 specimens. Algonquin. 

 IOWA: 4 specimens. Forest City; (1) August. 

 KENTUCKY: 5 specimens. Near Mammoth Cave; (5) April. 



