118 
The Egg .—Some of the species begin to lay their eggs in the 
earth early in June, and this operation is in progress for about 
a month. The eggs are placed from an inch to three inches be¬ 
neath the surface, each enclosed separately in a cavity just 
large enough to hold it, several, however, being frequently 
placed near each other, but never, according to our observa¬ 
tions, in a common cell. There appears in no case any special 
preparation of the soil or chamber containing the egg, the state¬ 
ment commonly made to the effect that the eggs are laid in a 
ball of earth being clearly erroneous. The eggs are oblong oval 
when first deposited, but soon swell by absorption to a nearly 
spherical form. The males begin to die nob long after pairing, 
and the females also perish as their ovaries are spent. The eggs 
hatch in from ten to eighteen days, according to our experi¬ 
ments. As the data upon which these statements are based are 
few, they may profitably be given in some detail. 
Our earliest observations on this subject were made June 28, 
1889, when some transparent white eggs were found among the 
roots of corn on the University premises, about an inch and a 
half below the surface. The ground was quite free from weeds 
and grass. These eggs, kept in earth in a breeding cage, hatched 
July 11 as unmistakable white grubs, but whether of the genus 
Lachnosterna or Cyclocephala it is not now possible to say. In 
1890, thirty-seven specimens of L. in versa obtained from the 
earth by following the plow in corn fields and grass lands at 
various dates from April 2 to 29 were confined in a breeding 
cage with an abundance of sod. On the 8th of May three of 
these beetles had emerged from the earth in the breeding cage, 
and they were thereafter fed with leaves of oak, elm, and chest¬ 
nut, all of which they freely ate. By the 17th of the month the 
abdomens of the female were much swollen and full of well- 
developed eggs, as determined by dissection, but no eggs were 
to be found as yet in the earth. May 26 and 31 and June 4 a 
thorough search of the cage showed that oviposition had not 
yet begun, but on the 5th of June half a dozen eggs were de¬ 
posited, and next day many were found, each in its separate 
cavity, as above described. Males began to die June 6, in this 
breeding cage, and the first female died on the 14th of June, her 
ovaries being spent, as shown by dissection. No eggs had hatched 
June 21, although those isolated for observation were advanced 
in development, showing the outlines of the larva within. On 
the 23d the first one hatched, and recently extruded eggs were 
also found; and on the 28th the breeding cage still contained, 
besides young grubs, well-developed eggs apparently about to 
disclose the young. The beetles had in fact not yet all perished, 
although those alive were sluggish and apparently about to die. 
The next year (1891) beetles (L. in versa) collected May 18 
and 19 at lights and from the earth were placed in a barrel of 
earth, itself sunk into the ground, and eggs were obtained Juno 
1, deposited singly as before. 
