42 N. S. ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



The Adult 



After transforming from the pupal stage, the adult feeds 

 voraciously from a month to six weeks and then enters the 

 ground, vegetable matter,or rotten stumps, where it hibernates. 

 Upon the arrival of the first warm days of spring, it again makes 

 its appearance and deposits its eggs. The adult has a habit 

 of making short, quick jumps upon being approached, hopping 

 from the plant upon which it is resting and then hiding itself 

 in the grass beneath. Although the length of this stage has 

 not been determined, it evidently extends well into the follow- 

 ing summer, as adults are frequently found at the same time 

 as the larvae are feeding. 



Chrysomela scalar is Lee. 



During the past summer this beetle has been very com- 

 mon almost everywhere. Eggs were therefore brought into 

 the laboratory, the resulting larvae reared to maturity and the 

 following descriptions prepared. 



Food Plants 



From observations made during the summer, this insect 

 was only found feeding on alder (Alnus glutinosa),but records 

 show that it does not confine its feeding habits to this plant. 

 F. B. Caulfield (Can. Ent. Vol. XVI. Dec. 1884; 226) states 

 that C. scalaris is common in Montreal wherever basswood and 

 elm are found. The same author (Can. Ent. Vol. XVII, Nov. 

 1885: 230) states that he has found it feeding on elm and linden 

 but on no other tree. W. H. Harrington (Report of the On- 

 tario Entomological Society 1882) reports having found it on 

 elm, linden and especially on wallows and alders. From 

 the foregoing it seems that C. scalaris feeds upon a number of 

 trees, but in this particular locality, alder alone was the host 

 plant. 



Summary of Life History. 



The eggs that were kept under observation were found on 

 July 24th, and these started to hatch three days later. It is 

 evident that the oviposition period lasts for a long time, as 

 larvae of all different stages were found at the same time. 

 The larvae feed voraciously, and after moulting three times, 



