June-Oct, T92I Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society 77 



viduals are somewhat undersized and have soft elytra, due per- 

 haps to lack of skill in rearing. The writer feels certain that 

 these are the offspring of a single female. 



That the reproductive function in these beetles is not altogether 

 normal is indicated by the following field note, which is repeated 

 verbatim: "Several days ago I placed in a glass some beetles 

 {affinis) taken on willows. After an examination this morning 

 (May 25) I found a number of the small larvae just hatched and 

 in addition three unhatched eggs. They are about one millimeter 

 in length, translucent and of a coral red color. Two of these 

 eggs have hatched during the morning and the third is almost 

 ready to. The formation of the young larva is very rapid. The 

 color is somewhat dull just before hatching. The young larva is 

 of a translucent red ; the head and legs being colorless and trans- 

 parent. The eggs are cylindrical in shape, rounded at the ends 

 and about twice as long as broad. They are gelatinous and with- 

 out a hard shell ; the skin yielding to the outline of the larva as it 

 forms within. Several eggs were laid upon the cork of a vial 

 which hatched out within an hour. They were attached by one 

 end so as to stand in a vertical position. The head of the larva 

 developed at the upper end. The larvae turn black shortly and 

 the thoracic segment may then be distinguished from the others 

 even before the first moult. I have just seen a female lay two of 

 these eggs, in both instances the embryo larva was visible as soon 

 as the &gg was completely expelled from the body of the parent. 

 The embryo in one case freed the head and thoracic segments of 

 its body from the sac in which it was born within five minutes 

 and was entirely out within ten minutes from the moment of 

 expulsion." It is evident that on occasion it would be proper to 

 call this species viviparous. 



The following record was made of a group of 29 larvae found 

 on poplar: The group was first observed on May 13, probably 

 shortly after hatching. The first moult took place on May 18, 

 the larvae then being 1.75 mm. long; the second moult on May 22, 

 the larvae then being 4.25 mm. long; the third on May 25, the 

 larvae then being 7 mm. long. On May 29 the larvae stopped 

 feeding. They began transforming to chrysalids on June 8 and 



