THE SO-CALLED " CURLEW BUG. 67 



Sound and be carried ashore by the tides. In at least two cases, 

 each involving a different species of Sphenophorus, adults have been 

 found along the sea beach in situations where they must have been 

 submerged at each flow of the tide. 



The length of life in the beetle stage is not definitely known, but 

 Dr. Chittenden has observed overwintered adults as late as August 8, 

 thus overlapping the appearance of the new generation of adults. 



* 



INJURY BY THE BEETLES. 



It is rather difficult to separate out, in the correspondence of the 

 bureau, injuries that have been caused by the adults, or beetles, of 

 this species from those inflicted by the larvae. That the larvaB are 

 eminently capable of totally destroying young corn is very evident, 

 but the following extract points more or less conclusively to the 

 beetles themselves as being the authors of the injuries inflicted. 



Mr. C. R. S. Baker, Rimini, S. C, June 26, 1909, in a communica- 

 tion to the Bureau of Statistics, stated that the beetles were killing 

 young corn by puncturing the stalk to the heart, killing the plant 

 precisely as with the "budworm." This particular field had been 

 highly fertilized with guano and stable manure. Maj. Gore, of Pire- 

 way, N. C, May 12, 1910, stated that 30 acres of corn planted on new 

 land had been literally eaten up by the beetles; presumably the new 

 land was either very low or reclaimed swamp. Under date of May 21, 

 1910, Mr. W. Barnett, of Pireway, N. C, stated that a farmer in his 

 neighborhood had lost half of his crop of corn from attacks of this 

 beetle. Writing from Helena, Ark., June 2, 1911, Mr. L. E. Howard 

 stated that these beetles were killing the corn, mostly young corn, 

 but some as large as waist-high. Writing from McLellan, Fla., 

 May 2, 1909, Mr. W. H. Gill stated that the pest had just made its 

 appearance in Santa Rosa County and attacked young corn about a 

 month old by boring in the stalk underground and killing the center. 

 On June 1, 1910, a complaint was received from Mr. P. Cox, Appleton, 

 Tenn., inclosing specimens of the beetle which he stated were destroy- 

 ing his corn crop and asked for an investigation of the trouble. July 

 14, Mr. G. G. Ainslie visited the locality and found that Mr. Cox's 

 field consisted of about 40 acres lying in a creek bottom. Farther 

 down the stream were two other fields of corn all of which had been 

 damaged. It seems to be the plan in that particular locality to allow 

 the land to go uncultivated every alternate year. During the season 

 in which the land is idle there springs up a heavy growth of weeds and 

 swamp grass. This particular field was plowed the latter part of 

 March and replowed the last day of April, corn being planted soon 

 after. The first planting came up quickly, but was utterly destroyed. 

 The second planting, the date of winch was not obtained, was also 

 practically destroyed, and a little before the middle of June a third 



