18 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



controlling the insect. They are, however, much more easily 

 jarred from the vines on warm days. 



The tendency of this species to remain in a locality for a time, 

 at least, is well shown in a certain vineyard at Bipley. It had 

 suffered Very severely in earlier years from the depredations of 

 this pest and a portion of it was uprooted in the spring of 1902. 

 A small area was allowed to remain in the hope that it could be 

 brought back to a normal condition. A few rows next to the 

 uprooted area were fed on to a very great extent by the beetles, 

 which had evidently emerged from the adjacent soil and made 

 their way to the nearest vines, where they were content to remain 

 and feed. The extensive injury inflicted on these vines is well 

 illustrated on plate 5, which shows how badly many of the leaves 

 were riddled. A curious fact in connection with the abundance 

 of the beetles on these small vines is that few or no eggs 

 could be found, probably due to the small amount of wood. 

 Observations have shown that while there is undoubtedly a con- 

 nection between .the amount of feeding and the number of eggs 

 laid, such is not necessarily true of the feeding and the number 

 of eggs or grubs on particular vines. This is a matter of some im- 

 portance because many growers are inclined to estimate the num- 

 ber of grubs at the roots by the amount of feeding on the foliage, 

 whereas it frequently occurs that more grubs are found under 

 vines with foliage but little eaten than under those which bear 

 evidence of excessive feeding. This tendency of the insects to 

 remain in a locality for a time is favorable to local control, since 

 it gives an opportunity to destroy them by collecting before there 

 is much dispersion. Such opportunities should be embraced 

 promptly, because it is well known that at times the beetles 

 fly to a considerable extent. Mr Schonfeldt has called the 

 writer's attention to an instance where numbers of the insects 

 suddenly appeared on some vines close to his house. They were 

 so numerous that the rattling as they struck the foliage attracted 

 the notice of Mrs Schonfeldt, who called her husband's attention 

 to the sound. The day was warm, and consequently the beetles 

 flew rapidly. As a rule, we believe, dispersion occurs more by a 

 wandering individual flight than by movements in swarms. There 

 is a marked tendency among the beetles to desert unthrifty vines, 

 probably because of the poor shelter they offer, and to attack the 



