88 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 
even though tin- worn may have withdrawn into its hole and plugged the opening 
behind it. it is frequently discovered here, probably, and devoured by birds. After a 
violent wind in the rammer IMlSSOn, BOOM Of oar ins.-ct-eating birds may always be 
noticed actively in search of limbs and trees that have thereby heeu broken, their 
instinct teaching them that this breakage usually occurs from the wood being weak- 
ened by the mining operation! of worms therein, whose lurking places are now opened 
to them. And they will be seen industriously occupied in picking around the fract- 
ured ends of the wood, and feasting upon the grubs which they there find. Num- 
ben of OUT wood-boring larva- are thus destroyed, and the oak primer, notwith- 
ing the precautions it takes to secrete itself, doubtless frequently falls a prey to these 
ions fbragi 
lUmtdies. — These insects will undoubtedly at times occur in such numbers as to 
render it important that they be destroyed, at least where they resort to the | 
or other valuable trees. And this may readily be effected by gathering and burning 
the fallen limbs in the winter or the early part of spring. (Fitch's Fifth Report, pp. 
1T--J4.) 
We have preferred to quote in full Dr. Fitch's accouut of this infi 
although somewhat prolix, and though he ascribes too much intelligence 
to the larva. The following criticisms and observations are also quoted 
in full from an article by Dr. John Hamilton, published in the Cana- 
dian Entomologist, August, 1887 : * 
Divested of all romance and imagination, and descending to facts, the observations 
of Professors Peck, Fitch, and Harris may be reduced to this : In the month of July 
the parent lays the eggs on the limbs or in the axil of a leaf near the end of the twigs 
of that year's growth of various species of oak, and perhaps other trees. After hatch- 
ing, the young larva (in the latter case) penetrates to the pith and devours it down- 
wards till the woody base is reached, and so onward to the center of the main limb; 
here it eats away a considerable portion of the inside of the limb and then, plugging 
the end of the burrow, which it excavates towards the distal end, eventually falls to 
the ground with the limb, which, being weakened, is broken off by the high autumnal 
winds. They exist here either as larva? or pupa? till spring and emerge in June as 
perfect beetles. Time, one year, though not so stated in words. 
The account given in detail below is so different from the above that were the iden- 
tity of the individualsn ot established by actual comparison and by recognized au- 
thority, it might well be asserted I had giveu an account of some other Elajyhidion. 
April, lr?83, I procured a barrel of hickory limbs from a tree girdled early in 
The limbs were from one-half to 1 inch in diameter. Very few things developed from 
them that season, but the next (1884) quite a number of species came forth — Clytan- 
thus ruricola and albofasciatus, Xeoclytus luscus, and ertithrocephahts, Siemotpkmn 
tatii8, etc. Many larva* of some CerambycicUe continued to work on under the bark. 
Late in the fall I observed that most of these had penetrated the wood, but some re- 
mained under the bark till April and May of the next year (1-85). The most of the 
beetles appeared during the first two weeks of June, though individuals occurred 
occasionally till September. A few Larvae were still found at work, but by October 
they likewise had bored into the wood and appeared as beetles the next Juue (1886). 
The normal period of metamorphosis is therefore three years, but in individuals it 
may be retarded to four or more years. 
At the present writing (June 5) these beetles are issuiug in great uumbers from a 
barrel of hickory limbs obtained in April, 1S^>, from a tree deadened in January, 
1884, thus verifying the first observation. 
How the larva- get under the bark could not be ascertained. When lirst examined, 
'Also reprinted in the Eighteenth Annual Report of the Entomological Society of 
Ontario, 1857. pp. :>8-40. 
