294 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Nov.,'03 



A considerable number of the mined blossoms were also 

 gathered and placed in two or three small jars upon sterilized 

 garden soil, as it was feared that sand might not be congenial 

 to them. These blossoms deliquesced rapidly and fresh ones 

 were supplied which the larvae promptly entered — a habit 

 common among dipterous and coleopterous leaf-miners, but 

 unusual with lepidopterous species. By the 19th, however, all 

 the larvae had entered the ground, several resting in perpen- 

 dicular tunnels against the glass, from two-thirds to over an 

 inch beneath the surface, in excellent position for the conve- 

 nience of the observer. 



The full grown larva is 6 mm. in length by 1.5 in diameter, 

 which is nearly equal throughout. Form subdepressed, surface 

 smooth, color immaculate milk-white, except the tips of the 

 trophi which are pale brown. The head, cervical plate, the 

 three-jointed antennae, the not very strongly developed legs 

 and the smooth spines of the posterior segment are corneous 

 and translucent. 



These larvae were all nearly grown when taken and their 

 development must have coincided with that of the blossoms in 

 a single panicle, which is very brief. 



By June 27th the larvae which were visible against the glass 

 had transformed to short thick pupae which, except in the 

 matter of size, resembled that of Ips fasciatus as figured by Dr. 

 Forbes. Supposing that they would continue in this state for 

 some time, — perhaps over winter, — no exact description of these 

 pupae was taken, and I was much surprised to discover on July 

 6th that the second transformation had taken place and the 

 beetles were already perfected. Now comes the interesting 

 and, as seems to me, somewhat unusual phase of their life 

 history. They did not emerge from the ground or even 

 change position in their resting places, but when the contents 

 of one of the jars was turned out upon a paper the beetles 

 manifested considerable activity, and when placed upon the 

 hardened earth in another jar immediately burrowed into it 

 evidently for concealment and protection during hibernation. 

 I scarcely expected that they would survive the winter under 

 the unusual conditions of their close quarters and in the hot 



