60 



in economic literature. It was first described in 1858 (12) by 

 JjeConte; aud at greater length in 1873 by Dr. Horn (23-416), 

 who surmises that the name may prove to be a syuonym of Gyl- 

 lenhal's S. ceqiiaUs. ^ 



The only notice of its injury to crops is one published by my- 

 self in July, 1888, in the agricultural and daily press of Illinois, 

 giving a brief account of its life history so far as known, of its 

 native haunts and food plants, and of its injuries to corn.* 



S. 'periinax, Oliv. This species, known as a corn insect since .1873, 

 first described by Olivier (1-83, 90), was described again by Sav 

 as mterstiilciUs, in 1831 (4-288); and finally in 1873 by Horn (23- 

 418), who also gives the synonymy and mentions its- injuries to 

 corn. Its destruction of young corn on low land in the South 

 was reported by Comstock in 1881 (39)f. Quick lime, land plas- 

 ter, and guano were found without effect. Adults are said to hi- 

 bernate in the tap roots of the corn, where they can be destroyed 

 by plowing up and burning the stubble. The beetles were not 

 affected by six days' overflow. 



Prof. Kellicott has bred this species from larvae infesting the 

 common "cat-tail" flag, Tfjpha Icdifolia (44). 



S. periinax was mentioned by Dr. Eiley in 1882 (45-141) as 

 a well known enemy to corn; and in 1884 its occurrence on the 

 New Jersey coast was recorded by Dr. John Hamilton (50). 



In 1886 Mr. T. F. Hunt gave a partial bibliography of the 

 species as a corn insect (55-108); and Mr. Webster briefly sum- 

 marized the facts concerning its injuries to corn in the Southern 

 States (58). 



S. rohiistus, Horn. This "bill bug," described in 1873 (23-419), . 

 was found by Comstock responsible for a serious injury to corn in 

 Alabama in 1880 (see under periinax),-— fact reiterated in 1881 and 

 1882 by Kiley (41, 43-139), who also gave an illustrated account of its 

 life history, described larva, pupa, and adult, and recommended as 

 preventive measures, dusting with arsenical poisons, and plowing 

 up and burning the corn stubble. 



It was further briefly treated by Riley in 1884 (51), and by 

 Hunt (55-109) and Webster (58) in 1885. 



S. cariosus, Oliv. Although the technical record of this species 

 is long and involved, its economic literature is limited to a single 

 item,— a report by Glover, in 1871 (20), of its injuries as larva 

 aud adult to corn in New Jersey. 



It has been described by Olivier asr cariosa and caUosa, by 

 Germar as larvalis, by Say as cicairicosus, and by Gyllenlial as 

 canosiis flexiiosiis, n. sp., cicairicosus, and callosus. Its svnonymy 

 is given by Horn (23-420) and by LeConte (28-425),- its best 

 description by Horn,— and a partial bibliography by Hunt (55-109). 



— 7 



♦Sp« foot-note pntje 58. 



+ I)r. Ullpy, Inti) wlif)HP handH Prof. Comatock'n spociiuotiH B"om to have come, considers them 

 to belong to the very nlinHur »i)ociefl robust us. 



