430 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



something of this description serves liis purpose. Here lie 

 remains dormant for a short time, when he is ready to start 

 out again in search of more prey. 



Wintering or Hibernation of Carahidce. — During the 

 winter and early spring occasional trips were made to 

 different parts of the infested district in order to learn, 

 if possible, how this group of insects spends the winter. 

 Species from the following genera were collected : Pterosti- 

 elms, A.mara, Platynus, Lehia, Dromius, Pinacodera, Bra- 

 chynus, Ilar^alus, Anisodacif/hts. ]\Ir. W. S. Blackley 

 reports in Psyche 217 species of Caral)idfe collected in the 

 winter in Virgo County, Indiana. 



There can be little doul)t of the fact that many of this 

 family spend the winter in the adult stage. 



On March 22, 1896, I received from Mr. W. C. Colt a 

 specimen of Cychrns lecontei (Dej.), which he found on the 

 trunk of a tree in Medford on the previous day. Doubt- 

 less this insect hibernated as an adult. 



In addition to the foregoing, the fact that Cdlosoma cali- 

 dum was taken less than a month later leads to the conclu- 

 sion that the Calosomas as a rule hibernate as adults, 

 although it is possible that they may pass the winter 

 in some other stage. 



Natural Enemies. — Many natural influences conspire to 

 limit the numbers of these beneficial insects. From their 

 large size and conspicuous colors they cannot be otherwise 

 than an attractive article of diet for some of our larger in- 

 sectivorous birds. The pungent odor given oft' by these 

 beetles would seem to be in a measure a means of defence ; 

 yet it is a well-known fact that some birds, like the crow, 

 appear to prefer such malodorous insects.* In this con- 

 nection it may be of interest to record that the fluid pro- 

 ducing the characteristic odor of C. calidum is ejected by 

 the beetle as a fine spray. 



On one occasion, while examining the earth in a jar 

 containing a female Calosoma calidum, on touching the 

 back of the beetle with a brush a fine spray struck my face, 

 which was about eight inches distant from the beetle. It 



* See " The Common Crow," Bulletin Division of Ornithology and Mammalogy, 

 Barrows -Schwarz, page 59, 1895. 



