FOTATO-BEETLK. THE BKBTLE DESCRIBED. REMEDIES. 



of the thorax when turned backward. They are gradually thickened 

 towards their tips, twelve-jointed, the last joint being quite small, conical, 

 and sunk into the ape.x of the preceding joint. The five first joints arc pale 

 yellow or tawny, obovate, the basal one largest, and the third one longer than 

 either of the other three. The remainingjoints are black and somewhat globu- 

 lar. The thorax is transverse, twice as broad as long, broadly notched in front 

 for receiving the head, and its hind side convex. Five punctures are scat- 

 tered over its surface, these punctures becoming more numerous and coarser 

 towards the outer sides. It is commonly margined all round by a slender 

 black line. In the centre are two oblong black spots which diverge for- 

 ward. Back of these is a small black dot which is often wanting; and on 

 each side are about six small black spots; one towards the base, of an oval 

 form and placed transversely; and two round ones, nearly upon a line for- 

 ward of this, the three being equidistant from each other; two towards 

 the hind angle, placed close together and often united, the inner one of 

 these being largest of the six; and the sixth one placed half way between 

 the two last and the forward angle. The scutel is dark brown. Tlie wing- 

 covers have the sutural edge dark brown, and five equidistant black stripes 

 on each. The first or inner stripe is shortest and tapers backward as it 

 gradually approaches the suture, terminating in a very long slender point 

 a considerable space forward of the apex. The two next stripes arc broadest 

 and are united at their tips, beyond which they are sometimes prolonged 

 into the end of the fourth stripe. Tiie outer stripe is the most slender and 

 longest of all, placed on the outer margin but terniiuating before it attains 

 the apex. The wing covers are also punctured in rows extending along 

 the margin of the stripes, the rows being uneven and the middle ones 

 double; and the outer interspace is also punctured. Beneath, the sockets of 

 the legs are black or edged with black, and on the hind breast is a trans- 

 verse black spot on each side, forward of tlie insertion of the hind legs, 

 and also a black stripe on the outer margin of the hind breast, outside of 

 which on the parapleura is a triangular black spot. The abdomen is finely 

 punctured on the disk and base, and has a short black band on the middle 

 of the anterior edge of each segment except the last, and neai; the outer 

 margin a row of six black dots. Tlic legs are tawny yellow,, with the hips 

 at least of the hind pair black and also the knees and feet. 



Say mentions a variety of this beetle having the wing-covers white. 

 Thifi is probably always their color when recently disclosed from the pupa. 



What will be the best remedies for this new insect enemy can only be 

 ascertained by experiments with it in its native haunts when its habits 

 are more fully observed. We know not whether turkeys and other fowls 

 relish these beetles, whereby they may be employed to aid in lessening 

 their nimibers. The large size of the beetles and their sluggish move- 

 ments favor their being readily noticed and picked from off the vines. 

 But thcMr numbers are so immense as to dishearten from attempts to thus 

 get rid of them unless some way can be devised to gather them rapidly 

 in large quantities. The method that has been resorted to with some suc- 

 cess against the blistering flics where they have been numerous on the 



