1950] 
Young — Geotrupes chalybaeus 
91 
tom and pressing them against the bottom of a plug which is grad- 
ually forced out upon the surface. Such a method would allow the 
burrow to be closed most of the time, which might be of value in 
preventing excess evaporation in so xeric an environment. Burrows 
in which the mouth was open were in many cases filled with sand a 
little ways beneath the surface. This sand seemed to have been 
washed in rather than being a plug formed by the beetles. 
Aboveground Activities 
Night observations revealed a few males and females on the sur- 
face among the mounds. No feeding, mating, or other activities were 
observed, however, since all specimens found were lying on the pine 
needle mat and did not move while under observation which in some 
cases lasted as long as half an hour. The smaller size of the fe- 
males in relation to the males and the grouping together of the 
mounds suggests that some sub-social activity might be expected. 
Presence of light in the area and other activity may have disturbed 
the beetles because the trapping results indicated that there was 
considerable wandering about at night. 
Food 
The only information on food is indirect. Adult beetles were at- 
tracted to molasses and water, honey and water, decaying mush- 
rooms, and molasses-honey-mushrooms and water. Some specimens 
were trapped in empty jars or jars containing only water. Jars 
containing cow manure, horse dung, or human excreta seemed to 
repel the beetles since none were taken in such traps although others 
in the same area fell into empty jars. Molasses and honey caught 
more beetles than decaying mushrooms, but the latter did not trap 
the beetles as did the sticky solutions so that many more may have 
visited the mushrooms and then left. The amount of possible food 
in such a situation as the “Scrub” is rather limited, but mushrooms 
and various lichens are frequently very abundant. 
Distribution In Florida 
“Throwups” accompanied by fragments or specimens of G. chaly- 
baeus were found in a number of places in northern peninsular 
Florida. All were located in areas of St. Lucie, Lakeland, Chiefland, 
or Orlando sands. None were found in St. Lucie or Dade sands in 
