THE GENUS CALOSOMA. 27 



was taken at electric lights in Washington, D. C. One live female was 

 received from Prof. C. E. Sanborn, Stillwater, Okla., in 1910. Others 

 were collected by Messre. J. V. Schaffner, jr., at Dover, Mass., A. M. 

 Wilcox, at Cohasset, Mass., and N. W. Souther, at Onset, Mass. 



From 1909 to 1912, 82 males and 98 females were received. Those 

 collected in Washington, D. C, arrived between May 12 and July 8, 

 and most of them reached Melrose the last half of May. The Massa- 

 chusetts specimens were collected in June, 'July, and August. 



HABITS OF ADULTS. 



In the climbing experiment (PI. Ill) a pair of adults when released 

 proceeded directly to the base of the tree and then to the top. After 

 climbing aromid the tree a few times Math great ease and swiftness 

 the pair were seen in coitu on the side of the trunk. 



On June 16, 1911, 7 males and 6 females were released in a green- 

 house at Brighton, Mass., where Asparagus plumosus is grown. Some 

 of the beetles were placed upon the asparagus stems and leaves to 

 ascertain if they could chmb these small and slippery stems. One 

 female chmbed to the top of one plant which was about 15 feet high, 

 then continued up the twine, around which the plant grew, about 

 8 feet farther to where it was fastened, and was then lost to view. 

 Another adult ascended to the top of a plant and remained on a leaf 

 for a short time. 



May 28, 1909, 24 males and 33 females were placed in a large com- 

 partment of an outdoor cage to observe their habits of climbing and 

 feeding. The cage was covered with fly-screen wire and measured 

 2 by 4 by 8 feet high. Caterpillars were supplied daily for food 

 and the following notes were secured: • 



June 2, Mr. Burgess observed the beetles in the foregoing cage 

 mitil 9 p. m. It was a moonlight night but the cage was quite dark 

 as the light was obscured by the laboratory building. At the advent 

 of darkness the beetles became very lively and ran about on the walls 

 of the cage. They also flew about in the cage and were more active 

 than during the day, at which time they usually remained at the top. 

 Several were noted feeding upon caterpillars on the side of the cage. 

 They did not appear to hunt the caterpillars as much as did O. syco- 

 pJiunta but when one crawled by they seized and devoured it greedily. 

 Tlie beetles would cling to the side of the cage head down and hokl 

 the caterpillars in their mandibles while feeding and occasionally 

 carried them about in their jaws for some time before finishing them. 

 (Fig. 4.) A considerable percentage of the caterpillars were killed 

 and devoured by the beetles in this cage during the night. After 

 dark the beetles made a droning noise, probably by moving the wings 

 rapidly, which was audible for quite a distance from the cage. 



Larvae of C. scrutator were observed crawling about in this cage at 

 various times during the summer. They attacked the largest 

 cater])illars on the ground but were not seen climbing on the sides. 



FOOD OF ADULTS, 



These beetles have been reported as f(U'.ding on the following 

 speries of insects: Cank(!rworms, tent cat(yr])illurs, army woims, 

 (flihf.mia) KrannxH iiliaria llnrr., (Ahtia,) Alabama anjillicea llhn..,. 

 "and ( Cacoecia) Arcki/js fervidana Chvin. 



