30 Bulletin of the New York State Museum. 



this very successful experiment, confirmed as it is by many others 

 that I find recorded, deserves to be faithfully tested with the 

 white grub. 



Study oe the Insect Desired. 



I have now given the characters by which the notorious white 

 grub may be recognized ; have narrated so much of its life- 

 history as is known to us ; have told of its ravages and of the 

 enemies that prey upon it ; and, so far as I am able, have pointed 

 out the principal means for the prevention of its depredations, 

 indicating those which are deemed the best. 



To me, and perhaps to many others, it is not the satisfactory 

 exhibit of knowledge of the species that is desirable. As before 

 stated, there are several points in its history upon which infor- 

 mation is still needed. May I ask, and in return be favored 

 with the aid of the farmers of our State toward supplying what 

 is lacking? They have the opportunities for making valuable con- 

 tributions with but little effort, and of a kind that may not be 

 obtained from other sources. I would, therefore, beg of them, 

 and of all others who are interested in the eminently prac- 

 tical work in which we are engaged, to make observation and to 

 send me the results from time to time of some of the following 

 points. Even in a communication of two or three lines, quite 

 important information may be contained : 



1. The earliest and the latest appearance of the May-beetle in 

 a,ny year. 



2. The comparative abundance of the beetle in different years, 

 particularly noting such years of unusual abundance, as may 

 appear to indicate a periodicity of three years. 



3. The presence or absence of eggs in the female beetle, to be 

 ascertained by cutting open the abdomen and examining the contents. 

 The female may be told by the three-leaved (when spread apart) 

 terminal club of the antennae being but about one-half the length 

 of that of the male. My observations tend to the probability that 

 the eggs are deposited before the beetle comes abroad for flight 

 and food. It is important that this point should be determined. 



4 The reentering the ground (if so) by the female for deposit- 

 ing her eggs; the character of the soil entered as to its degree of 

 compactness ; and the crop cultivated thereon. 



5. The manner of oviposition, if in a mass within a ball of earth as 

 stated, or singly — the number of eggs, and depth at which placed. 



