22 
extreino abniidanco of these larviv in the fjrass lawns on the west front of 
the Capitol at \\'ashin<,^ton, but, at the same time, showed that the lawn 
was so j^reen and healtliy in ai)pearance as to cause admirinj; comment. 
Tliis, however, was after a rainy summer. In .June, 1S8S, these larva* 
were ai)i)arently resjionsibh* for very considerable dama«::e to the lawns 
on the east front of the Cajiitol. The {j^rass turned brown and the larvie 
were found to be present in extraordinary numbers. This, however, 
was during a dry month, and Laclinosterna larva* were also i)resent. 
In 1893 the larva* were found to be swarmin<; in choice celery beds 
near N\'ashin<,^t()n. The only vegetation in the vicinity of tlie beds was 
the celery itself and there had been no grass or low vegetation upon the 
field during the previous summer. Observations were begun in October. 
A'ery careful examination failed to show any damage to the roots of the 
celery, but the crop was slightly damaged by the carriage of dirt into the 
heart by the larva; and by their acid excrement causing rot. During the 
daytime they remained constantly under the surface of the ground, and 
there was abundant evidence that they come out to the surface at night 
and even crawl up the plants for an inch or so. In this case, as in all the 
cases which we have investigated in which these larva* were more than 
usually abundant, tlie beds were heavily mulched with large masses of 
rotting straw mixed with a considerable amount of stable manure, and 
the extraordinary Tiumber of the larva* seems with little doubt to be 
accounted for by the fact that such conditions attract the beetles and 
they lay their eggs under such circumstances. The writer has repeat- 
edly noticed them ovii)Ositing in the earth of the heavily nninured 
llower beds on the grounds of the United States Department of Agri- 
culture at Washington, while apparently no attempt was made to ovi- 
posit in the adjacent lawns. 
Occasionally a great abundance of larvji' in strawberry beds may be 
accounted for in the same vi^ny. It is a matter of regret that no direct 
observations have been made upon the feeding of this larva. Such 
observations, however, are very ditlicult to make. Attemi)ts have heen 
made with the aid of the Comstock root cages, but without result. 
Larva* have been watched repeatedly for more or less extended peri- 
ods, but have never been observed to feed. The direct evidence on 
this point, therefore, is very meager, and their normal feeding habits 
can only be surmised, although this surmise may be made with a con- 
siderable degree of positiveness. 
Every writer who has i)ublished an account of the habits of this 
insect has assumed that the larva feeds upon the living roots of plants, 
])ut the only exact observation on record is that mentioned by Kiley in 
liulletin Xo. 2.'J of the Maryland Agricultural Exi)eriment Station, in 
which he says that in 18(18 in his breeding cages the larva* fed greedily 
ui)on roots of wheat which he grew for them. In addition to the con- 
trary evid(*nce already given. Prof. C. H. Tyler Townsend recorded in 
Insect Life (Vol. I \\ ]». -."),) the linding of Allorhiua larva* in a bare s])ot 
