67 
Valley, Bay City, Port Lavaca, Austin, and Hamshire, and it prob- 
ably occurs at Marlin. No doubt other localities which have not yet 
come to our notice are infested. 
The females lay their eggs on the lower part of the stalk in cavi-. 
ties previously made while feeding. They also oviposit on the 
tubers in the same manner, in shallow-planted potatoes or where 
the tubers are easily accessible. The number of eggs that one weevil 
is capable of laying could not be ascertained the past season, but in 
the insectary the number was very small, which accounted for the 
slow increase of the pest. The first mating at College Station was 
May 2. On May 6 mating pairs were common, but the first eggs 
were found May 20. 'The average time to the hatching of these eggs 
was twelve days. The life cycle from mating to adult is forty-nine 
days, allowing fourteen days from time of mating to egg-laying, 
twelve days for eggs to hatch, sixteen days for larve to develop, and 
seven days for the pups. The time from emergence to mating varies 
from a few minutes to several days. Experiments made in breeding 
the insects on potatoes that had not vet the tubers formed were suc- 
cessful. The young larve first bored down in the stem, then up- 
ward, in most cases the pupe being found several inches above the 
ground in the center of the stalk. On May 20 the first eggs were 
found in the insectary. On December 7 of the preceding year speci- 
mens of tubers sent in from Port Lavaca had all larve half grown. 
As the season of activity is longer at Port Lavaca than at College 
Station, four to five generations would have ample time to develop. 
Fumigation in the bin with carbon pisulphid has been thus far the 
main reliance. At College Station the adults fed voraciously on all 
parts of the growing plants, giving the plant an appearance some- 
thing like that given to the tomato by the flea-beetle. These adults 
were all killed with Paris green and arsenate of lead sprays, the 
latter insecticide requiring a longer time than the former. Tubers 
in which all stages of the insect were present in «a healthy condition ° 
were received at College Station at different times of the year. In- 
fested sweet potatoes can be shipped long distances, and this is an 
easy way of disseminating the pest. The old practice of allowing 
the vines and small tubers to remain in the field is unfortunately 
still in vogue in many localities. Some growers follow the advice 
given and destroy the remains of the crops after harvesting. They 
feed the small tubers to cattle, holding that hogs refuse to eat them. 
Although the adult insects have wings, their chief mode of migra- 
tion is on foot. This accounts for the relief obtained by planting 
carefully selected seed remote from the infested territory. It is 
important that good seed be thoroughly covered with earth when 
