420 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



As will be seen by the table, the beetles show a great 

 difference as regards the number of eggs laid ; liut the fact 

 is also noticeable that no eggs were deposited by any 

 female which had not paired. There were very few cases 

 where the eggs failed to hatch, and these I think were due 

 to the injuries the eggs may have received while removing 

 the beetles from the jars. Probably the number laid by 

 female No. 6 is the nearest typical, though doul)tless under 

 favorable natural conditions the number would be materially 

 increased. 



The Egg. — (Plate 3, Fig. 1.) The eggs are somewhat 

 elliptical in form, but slightly larger at one end. Although 

 subject to variation, they measure 4 mm. in length and 

 1.9 mm. in diameter, and are of a light straw-yellow color. 

 With a lens or low power of the microscope the surface of 

 the egg looks perfectly smooth, but if the contents are re- 

 moved and the shell placed under a high power it is found 

 to be very finely reticulated. These markings (Fig. 2) 

 are pentangular in form, and may be readily observed on 

 shells mounted in glycerine jelly. Sometimes the eggs 

 change their form and become slightly kidney-shaped before 

 hatching;. The color, however, does not change. The 

 time spent in this stage is from four to ten days. 



First Larval Stage. — (Plate 3, Fig. 3.) At the time of 

 hatching the young larva is of the same color as the Q2,g, but 

 gradually grows darker, until in a])out ten hours it is of a 

 deep shining brown. After remaining in the cavity occupied 

 by the o^gg for about twenty-four hours, the larva comes to 

 the surface of the ground in search of food. At this time 

 the length is 8 mm., including the caudal appendages, which 

 measure 1 mm. ; the width at the middle of the first tho- 

 racic segment is 1.7 mm., from which point the body tapers 

 gradually to the last segment. The head is large in pro- 

 portion to the body, longer than wide, somewhat flattened, 

 and truncate l)eliind. The clypeus is separated from the 

 epicranium by a well-defined suture, which extends to the 

 base of the antenna?, dividing the raised portions from which 

 they arise. The front edge of the clypeus is emarginate, 



