No. 115.] 101 



The beetle was identified as Cebrio hicolor (Fabr.). It is a very 

 interesting species, belonging to the extensive family of Elateridce, 

 or snapping beetles, and to the sub-family of Cebrionince (formerly 

 regarded as of family value), which has but few representatives in 

 our country, and those confined mainl} r to the Southern States. 

 In the eastern continent they inhabit the south of Europe and the 

 north of Africa. The females are destitute of wings, which, indeed, 

 would be useless to them from their habit of living beneath the 

 surface of the ground. They usually carry their burrows to 

 the surface after or during heavy rains, at which time they are 

 found by the males — a more slender insect, with longer antennae 

 and fully developed wings — and copulation takes place. 



Westwood relates {Introduction to the Classification of Insects, 

 vol. 1, pp. 244, 245), that in Europe, C. gigas appears only during 

 the early autumnal showers ; at which period, if the weather be 

 fine, few only are to be found; but if very wet, great numbers 

 of males are observed creeping about the ground (from which 

 they have recently emerged) and eagerly searching for the females. 

 At the time of coupling, the female protrudes from the ground a 

 long horny tube, the extremity of which contains the organs of 

 generation. 



Judging from the habits of other of the Elateridce or snap- 

 ping beetles, most of the popular remedies employed against the 

 ravages of the well-known larvae, "the wire worms" would be 

 efficacious with these. In a grass-plat, the frequent plowing or 

 turning over of the surface soil, so generally recommended, could 

 not be conveniently resorted to. An effective method of destroying 

 the beetles might be, if the burrows were not very numerous, to pour 

 hot water in them. An equally efficient method of destruction, and 

 one which would better subserve the purposes of science, would be 

 to dig up each female when the burrow appears, drop it in a small 

 bottle of spirits, and send the bottle, packed in sawdust, to the 

 New York State Entomologist, who would gladly place the specimens 

 in various collections in the Northern States, where the species, 

 from its subterranean habits, is a rarity. If this were faithfully done 

 for one season, from the first indication of the presence of the 

 insect, the infested grass-plat could furnish but few, if any, 

 additional specimens the following season for further distribution. 



