268 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 104 



several hours in a salve box were found in copulation. The 360° 

 rotation of the male genitalia during retraction was again noted. 



In order to ascertain the stage of development of the female ovaries 

 at the time of mating, several females were subjected to histological 

 examination. Only vague suggestions of one or two partially formed 

 eggs were seen in the specimens examined. 



During September and October at Raleigh, a number of splendidus 

 were kept alive and placed, along with a quantity of cow dung, in a 

 3-by-6-foot enclosure which was covered with screen wire. On Apr. 

 17, 1951, the cage was dug up. In most cases the adults were found 

 inactive at the bottom of shallow burrows. In two instances the 

 burrows turned sharply at a depth of about 6 inches and were then 

 packed with an elongate wad of dung. In each dung wad, within one- 

 half inch of the terminal end, was a small cavity about one-fourth inch 

 in diameter containing an elongately oval, yellowish white egg. The 

 eggs, with their accompanying wads of dung, were placed in salve 

 boxes and taken indoors. One egg failed to hatch, probably due to 

 injury by mites. The other egg hatched on April 29. The larva grew 

 rather rapidly, becoming a second instar in May 10, and then died, 

 for no apparent reason, on May 17, 1951. 



Because of the rather poor results obtained, it was decided to move 

 the adults to a new enclosure in an area where many splendidus had 

 been collected. The area chosen, about 5 miles north of Raleigh, 

 was on a weU-wooded, southward-facing hillside. The deciduous 

 trees, predominantly oaks, were by far the largest components of the 

 woods and beneath them was a thick layer of dead leaves. 



The adult beetles were placed in a new enclosure, the same size as 

 the old one, along with a quantity of the ground litter, dead leaves, and 

 some fresh cow dung. 



The cage was left undisturbed for over a month; then, a portion of 

 the cage was dug up on June 27, 1951, with gratifying results. Each 

 burrow yielded a cell containing an egg or larva. The burrows typical- 

 ly went to a depth of from Sji to 6% inches, where they took a sharp, 

 almost right-angled turn. Half an inch beyond this tiu-n the packed 

 food cell began. These wads, 2 to 3 inches long and slightly under 1 

 inch in diameter, were composed, surprisingly, of tightly packed pieces 

 of dead leaves in concentric layers. There was no dung or other 

 material used, merely small bits of dead leaves (largely oak) which were 

 so tightly packed into a firm mass that it retained its shape when re- 

 moved from the burrow. Seemingly none of the burrows led to more 

 than one cell, but because of the difficulty of digging in the hard red 

 clay, and because of the beetles' habits of partially refilling the bur- 

 rows, the statement cannot be made with certainty. Plate 10, figure 

 7 is a diagram of what is believed to be a typical burrow and cell. 



