246 



Mr. Howard stated that he remembered Mr. Smith's announcement 

 and the general expression of opinion at the meeting that this fall 

 transformation is a very common thing. 



Mr. Forbes admitted that the matter had been observed before, but 

 that it seemed to have been considered the exception rather than the 

 rule. 



Mr. Riley said he had published in his later writings that fusca com- 

 monly transformed in autumn, but thinks it not the invariable rule. 

 He has also bred Gyclocephala immaculata, and had reached the same 

 result as to period of transformations that was reached by Mr. Forbes. 

 He had tried to find differences between the larvse, but had sought 

 them in the mouth parts. 



Mr. Forbes had examined the mouth parts until he was nearly dis- 

 tracted. There were differences, but they were not constant and he 

 had abandoned that line of research. 



Mr. Hart read the following paper : 



THE LIFE HISTORY OF WIREWORMS. 



By C. A. Hart. 

 [Author's abstract.] 



Mr. 0. A. Hart then read a paper on the '^ Life History and Imma- 

 ture Stages of Elateridse," the material for which was drawn from the 

 collections and notes of the State entomologist's ofiSce. Eight species 

 of Melanotus were mentioned as occurring in these Illinois collections — 

 most of them tolerably common — viz, americanus, infaustus^ pertinax, 

 parumpunctatus, depressus, cribulosus, communis, and fissilis. Larvae of 

 Elateridse are divisible into about three principal groups according to 

 their general form and the shape, finish, structure, and armature of the 

 last abdominal segment. Larval characters were given for Alans, Oar- 

 diophorus, Elater, Drasterius, Ludius, Agriotes, Melanotus, Corymbites, 

 and Asaphes. Use was made of the so-called muscular impressions in 

 separating species of Melanotus, among which communis, Jissilis, cribu- 

 losus, and americanus were recognized in the larva. 



A larva, doubtfully identified as Lacon rectangulus was found injuri- 

 ous to corn, as were also those bred to Agriotes mancus smd pubescens, 

 and Melanotus communis, fissilis, cribulosus, and infaustus. 



Biographical memoranda were given for Ludius attenuatus, and for 

 the species of Melanotus, Agriotes, and Asaphes. 



This paper will be published in an elaborated form, with illustrations, 

 in the bulletin of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History. 



Mr. Cook said he planted buckwheat one year in an infested field, and 

 it was not injured at all; but next year they injured theoats planted in 

 the same field. Evidently one year will not suffice to starve them out. 



