23 
soja beans on the grounds of the Department of Agriculture. Through- 
out the month of August the beetle was observed feeding upon the 
foliage of this plant on an experimental plat, and on the 12th of that 
month it was reared from the larva, which was found in considerable 
number mining the leaves. Locust trees were growing no nearer than 
200 yards from the soja beans. The species was still present on the 
latter plant as pup and beetles during the first week of September. 
At 11 a.m. of August 5 a larva taken from its mine was found to have 
transformed to pupa within two or three minutes, the change having 
taken place while it was being taken from one room to another and 
returned. August 12 the imago was found fully colored early in the 
morning, the pupal period having been passed in about six and a half 
days. Temperature: 75°-80° F. 
CHELYMORPHA ARGUS LICHT. ON SWEET POTATO.—This species 
was recently observed at Cherry Dale, Va., during the first half of 
July on the leaves of sweet potato, feeding freely and in one instance 
laying eggs. 
As far as I am aware, this tortoise beetle has not previously been 
recorded as attacking sweet potato, although specimens were received 
at this Department in 1884 from a correspondent at Touch Key, Monroe 
County, Fla., that were found destroying the foliage of this vegetable. 
The larvie, as is well known, feed upon Convolvulus and Asclepias, 
preferably, in the writer’s experience, on the former, and the beetles 
were reported many years ago by. Dr. Packard (Guide, p. 504) as abun- 
dant on leaves of raspberry. 
EPICAUTA TRICHRUS PALL. ON SWEET POTATO.—This blister beetle 
occurs often in great numbers during July in the vicinity of Washing- 
ton on various species of Convolyulacex, including the sweet potato, 
the leaves and flowers of which it devours. One of its food plants, the 
hedge bindweed (Convolvulus sepium), was recorded for it half a century 
ago by I. E. Melsheimer, who evidently mistook the black form for atrata 
Fab. and the more typical form with reddish front for a variety of atrata 
to which he gave the MS. name of convolvuli (Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 
1846, Vol. ILI, p. 53). It is also recorded in Illinois “on May-weed 
(Maruta | Anthemia| cotula) in August, but not common” (A. 8S. MeBride, 
Can. Ent., Vol. XII, p. 107). 
HABITS OF THE FALSE ROSE-CHAFER.—Macrodactylus angustatus 
Beauy., which very closely resembles the rose-chatfer (4. suwbspinosus), 
is very abundant in the District of Columbia and in neighboring por- 
tions of Virginia and Maryland, often occurring in great swarms like 
its more common congener. The males can not be separated from the 
true rose-chater by superficial scrutiny, but the females may readily be 
distinguished. In this vicinity it is much more abundant than the 
rose-chafer and makes its appearance about the time that the latter 
Species disappears, being present throughout the month of July. In 
its imaginal food habits it differs from the rose-chafer. It does not 
