69 
II * 
If 
The following letter, from Mr. Brunton, dated November 23, will 
fo of interest in this connection: 
“I feel confident that no eggs of the crown-borer are to be found 
| plants here, at this season of the year, and I have no hesitation 
I saying that the crown-borers are not disseminated by plants re- 
oved from here up to April 1, unless the beetles are in the earth 
lliering to the plants.” 
Mr. Brunton, Mr. Endicott and Mr. Earle are all agreed that they 
3 ver see the larvae in spring before fruiting time, nor, in fact, 
itil they work the fields after the berries are picked. 
Mr. Endicott, of Villa Pudge, a large strawberry grower of several 
; jars’ experience, and a very close and intelligent observer, says 
at he has never noticed the worms in the roots before June, but 
at he sometimes finds them when hoeing the plants after the ber- 
3 S are picked. At this time the larvae have but just commenced 
eat, forming little cavities at the bases of the leaf stalks. He 
lieves that he would have been almost certain to see the borers 
they had occurred in the crowns before April, as the time of 
insplanting extends from February to that month. He has never 
,diced the adult beetle except in the fall, and is confident that it 
single-brooded. 
The delay in printing this report\enables me to add a few facts 
lating to the spring history of this insect, obtained by my assist- 
d, Mr. F. M. Webster, on a trip made to Southern Illinois in 
joril, 1883. On the 10th of that month, at Centralia, in pulling 
vay the interwoven runners in old fields, or drawing off the mulch 
uich had not yet been removed, he found quite a number of the 
Jiult beetles on the surface of the ground near the plants, but saw 
< indication whatever that they had yet deposited their eggs. On 
e 12th instant, at Cobden, two specimens taken upon the ground 
pulated while under observation. On the following day a number 
others were found here, and on ’ the 17th they were seen 
aringly in the strawberry fields at Villa Bidge, in some cases upon 
e foliage of the plants. A careful examination of a considerable 
l imber of the plants taken from the worst infested fields failed to 
scover anything resembling the eggs of Tyloderma, and the ex- 
lination of a large number of crowns discovered none of the larvae 
f any condition. 
j Taking all these data into consideration, the following life history 
II doubtless be found nearly if not precisely correct. The adult 
| etle emerges from the crown all the way from July to October, 
l is transformation covering a period of about two months, but all 
i ally emerging before cold weather. It is barely possible that 
i,tne of the earliest of these lay their eggs upon the plants in the 
pi, at least in late seasons, but most, if not all, winter over as 
I sties, and do not deposit their eggs until the following spring. 
e eggs are placed upon the side of the crown between the bases 
; the leaves. As soon as the larvae hatch they eat their way into 
3 crown, and remain there excavating its substance, until they 
pate. All the transformations are passed in the crown, and from 
I s the beetle emerges as a perfect insect. 
—5 
