227 



true larval reproduction ; that these forms are not in any sense mature 

 insects. Finally, what function do these pits fulfill? I am not at all 

 satisfied with any of the explanations thus far made. 



Mr. Webster asked why it is that some young of the same female 

 will obtain wings and others not, and why those females possessing 

 wings were the least prolific. 



Mr. Smith did not pretend to answer this question; the fact was 

 known to him and had been frequently observed ; the wingless, vivipa- 

 rous forms seemed for some reason to be interrupted in their develop- 

 ment. 



Mr. Osborn said that the poriferous system in the sexed individuals 

 in species familiar to him is much more simple than in the winged vivip- 

 arous forms ; but he could not say that it was the same as in the lar- 

 val forms. 



Mr. Webster had observed that the wingless female is much more 

 quiet and docile and not easily disturbed, while the winged female is 

 wild and sometimes entirely unmanageable. 



Mr. Gillette read a paper entitled : 



NOTES ON THE PLUM CURCULIO AND PLUM GOUGER. 



C. P. Gillette. 

 EGG-LAYING RECORD OF THE PLUM' GOUGER. 



On the 1st of June last a male and female gouger were taken in 

 copula and placed under a bell jar in my study, where they were kept 

 supplied with fresh plums. A complete daily record of the number of 

 punctures made by these beetles, and also of the number of eggs de- 

 posited by the female, was kept. The first eggs were deposited during 

 the night of June 2 and the last eggs were deposited on June 22, mak- 

 ing the period of oviposition in this case twenty days. 



In order to economize space I will give the record in periods of five 

 days each, begiuning on June 2. I will also give the whole number of 

 punctures made by both beetles for food and oviposition in each period. 

 First period, 366 punctures and 136 eggs j second period, 318 punctures 

 and 136 eggs; third period, 321 punctures and 125 eggs; fourth period, 

 161 punctures and 51 eggs ; fifth period, 96 punctures and 2 eggs ; sixth 

 period (three days), 4 punctures and no eggs. This makes a total of 

 1,266 punctures and 450 eggs, or about 2.8 punctures per egg. This 

 makes no account of the large number of punctures made by the beetles 

 for food in buds and blossoms before oviposition began. From the time 

 egg-laying began there were no omissions of a single day to the time 

 the last eggs were laid, on June 22. The largest number of eggs de- 

 posited in one day (twenty-four hours) is 49 for June 3. Up to June 20 

 the smallest number deposited in one day was 12, the number found 



