94 
The Bulletin 
as to prevent tlieir being recounted. It is believed that this represents 
practically all of the bill bugs present on a plat of one-third acre. Of 
627 individuals, 329 or slightly more than 52 per cent were females; 
while 298 or slightly less than 48 per cent were males. In addition to 
this, many other observations and the counting of smaller numbers of 
bill bugs would indicate that the proportion of sexes in the field was 
approximately equal. The table below will indicate the approximate 
numbers of bill bugs and their distribution as determined from counting 
all the bill bugs that could be found on a plat about one-eighth of an 
acre in extent as counted June 10, 1915, between 10 a. m. and 3 p. m. 
In this case over 60 per cent were males and less than 40 per cent were 
females. And while it is possible that some bill bugs may have been 
missed, an effort was made to secure all of the bill bugs present, and 
certainly the vast majority of the bill bugs present on that date were 
recovered and counted. This incident is merely cited as one of the 
incidents that force us to the conclusion that the proportion of sexes 
must be nearly equal under ordinary conditions, in spite of the fact that 
in the total numbers counted from all sources there are 110 females to 
every 100 males. 
Table XIV. 
SHOWING TEE DISTRIBUTION OF ADULT BILL BUGS ON JUNE 10. 1915. PLOT A—ONE- 
EIGHTH OF AN ACRE. 
Females 
Males 
Feeding_ _ 
2 
2 
Egg laying... - 
1 
0 
Actively crawling about_ . . . 
0 
1 
Under clods, sticks, gtc_ . 
24 
39 
Totals_ _ __ __ 
27 
42 * 
Per cent... __ _ 
40 
60 
APPEARANCE OF THE ADULTS IN THE SPRING 
In the eastern part of the State the adults appear in the corn-fields 
as early as mid-April. Their numbers increasing gradually, as the 
weather grows warmer, so that usually by the first of June all the over¬ 
wintering beetles seemed to have emerged from hibernation, and usually 
towards the end of June their numbers seem to be increased by newly 
transformed adults which may be readily distinguished at the time of 
their emergence by their velvety brown color. The numbers of adults 
increase gradually during July and the first half of August. The hill 
bugs usually completely disappear in fields of corn planted in April 
and May by the latter part of August. These bugs seem to locate in 
later planted corn if any be available, but just where they go if corn 
is not available has never been definitely determined. Perhaps they 
