144 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. £ 
During the latter part of April of the present year, I again found the 
cases in considerable number on the same species of Oak; and one 
evening, about the 1st of May, after sunset, I was so fortunate as to 
discover the parent beetle in the act of finishing up one of her nests, 
trimming ‘up and tucking in the ends with her beak. After watching her 
movements for a short time, I secured both beetle and case. The 
former was at once submitted to Mr. Riley for determination, and pro- 
nounced to be AZtelabus bipustulatus, of Fabricius. 
If one of these nests be very carefully unrolled, the wodus operand: of 
its construction can readily be seen. ‘The egg is first deposited near the 
tip of the leaf, and a little to one side ; the blade of the leaf is then cut 
through on both sides of the mid-rib, about an inch and a half below ; a 
row of punctures is made on each side of the mid-rib of the severed por- 
tion, which facilitates folding the leaf together, upper surface inside, after 
which the folded leaf is tightly rolled up from the apex to the transverse 
cut, bringing the egg in the centre ; the concluding operation is the tuck- 
ing in and trimming off the irregularities of the ends. No trace of any 
gummy substance to assist in keeping the case in shape can be perceived, | 
except the slight extravasation of sap caused by the punctures and pres- 
sure of the beak of the little artisan. 
As I have never been able to observe these beetles working on their 
cases in the day-time, except on the occasion referred to, when it was 
already growing somewhat dark, I conclude that their period of greatest 
activity is during the night. : 
Observing that the cases invariably dropped to the ground a few days 
after completion, I collected a number, and placed them upon moistened 
sand in a breeding jar. By May 15th, several of the eggs had hatched, 
the tiny larve produced from them being oval, translucent-white, with 
strong brown jaws; they seemed to be feeding upon the dry substance of 
their nest. An examination a few days later showed this to be the case, 
as the larvæ had grown considerably, and had excavated quite a cavity in 
their dwelling. On opening one of the nests about the last of May, I 
was much surprised to find the inhabitant already in the pupa state. 
Several of the remaining cases—-which were by this time reduced to mere 
shells—contained full-grown larvæ, of which the following are the general 
characteristics :— ; 
Average dorsal length 0.22 inch, diameter on abdominal segments 
0.06 in., tapering anteriorly from fourth segment. Color shining yellowish- 
white ; thoracic segments slightly depressed on dorsum and swollen on: 
