THE SO-CALLED CURLEW BUG. 69 



ones. From one to several eggs were laid on each plant, either just 

 beneath the surface of the soil, slightly above the roots, or from 2 to 

 3 inches above this point in the stem. Beetles usually rest on stems 

 head downward, often partially hidden by soil around the plant, 

 and frequently with the beak inserted into the tissues of the stem. 

 At the bottom of slits made by the beak, and easily seen with the 

 naked eye, there is often a white, elliptical egg, sometimes with one 

 end transparent. Both males and females were common. On 

 June 22, about 3 miles away across the Perquimans River, on the 

 farm of Mr. R. L. Spivey, Mr. King observed the same work in a 

 small patch of corn planted on spring-plowed land which bore corn 

 the year before. Near Mr. Spivey 's farm injury was also done to 

 3 or 4 acres of corn on the farm of Mr. J. T. Jackson, whose land 

 also bore corn the year before. At this time only a few large plants 

 of the first crop were standing. The land had been replanted, but 

 only sickly plants were produced, as these had been attacked by 

 Splienophorus and by Diatrsea sp., the latter of which is locally 

 known as the "budworm." An adjoining patch of corn, planted on 

 soil which bore corn last year, but cut early and the land fall-plowed, 

 was seemingly growing. 



On July 25 Mr. W. R. Walton visited the same locality and, in the 

 same fields previously examined by Mr. King and the author, found 

 larvae, apparently nearly full grown, in the taproots and crowns of 

 the plants. Although no longer feeding, they had not yet transformed 

 to pupse, nor were they yet in cells formed for pupation. Some of 

 the less seriously injured stalks of corn were from 6 to 8 feet high, 

 with one well-developed ear. No grasses or sedges in which the insect 

 could develop could be found in the neighborhood, although Mr. 

 Walton was told by Mr. Overton that masses of both of these plants, 

 with heavy root-stalks, sometimes drift across Albemarle Sound 

 from the South. Farmers in that neighborhood say the pest began 

 its depredations along the north shore, and express the opinion that 

 the pest came from the South. Later, September 5 and 6, Mr. 

 Walton again visited the same locality to learn the condition of the 

 pest, but although he examined and pulled up about 100 stalks of 

 corn where the pest had been abundant earlier in the season, he 

 could find no trace of it in any stage. 



REMEDIAL AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES. 



With these insects in full possession of a field, there does not appear 

 to be any thoroughly practical and effective measure for preventing 

 or overcoming their ravages. While throwing up the soil or hilling 

 up the young plants with the cultivator might prevent the beetles 

 themselves from puncturing the stems low enough down to cause 

 the plants to sucker or become distorted, this is by no means assured. 



