The Bulletin 
99 
In its movements the hill bug is very slow and deliberate, evidently 
depending upon its color and slow gait for protection. At times the 
adult moves rather rapidly, but this gait is not long continued, and 
usually after each period of rapid movement it will remain perfectly 
motionless for a period usually equaling if not exceeding the period 
of rapid movements. This jerky gait always impresses one with the 
thought that the bill bug fully expects every movement it makes to be¬ 
tray it to its enemies. Their total movements thus become so slow 
as to exhaust the patience of any human being who is observing them 
in the hope that he will get a composite picture of their activities. 
The same slowness of gait applies to all of their activities, be it mating, 
egg laying, feeding, or what not. All of the movements of the bill 
bug seem to he entirely aimless and without any definite purpose, or 
such is my conclusion, after watching them for the past several seasons 
both in the field and in the insectary. In the field bill bugs on coming 
from their retreats under clods or sticks will proceed in a jerky manner 
often for a distance of many feet, often passing in their wanderings 
within a fraction of an inch of stalks of corn, to bring up eventually 
at a stalk that is, so far as one can observe, not better in any way than 
stalks that have just been passed. Frequently they will take such 
journeys of exploration, sometimes wandering across a plat of corn 
thirty or more feet in direct line from the starting point, only to turn 
in an aimless fashion, partly retracing their steps and winding up at a 
stalk of corn within a few inches of their retreat, where they will 
commence to feed and continue to feed long after their companions 
have sought their shelters for their noontime siestas. These aimless 
wanderings seem decidedly more common during the morning hours 
than they are during the evening hours. It is for all the world as if 
these fellows had after a night’s rest arisen refreshed in body and 
started out on a journey of adventure to the far recesses of their 
domain. At first it was supjmsed that these wanderings were for the 
purpose of seeking mates, but, so far as our observations go, hill bugs 
possessed with this wander-lust do not seek mates. In fact, in the 
majority of cases, as discussed below, coupling seems ordinarily to take 
place before the bill hugs emerge from their retreats. 
The mating habits of the hill bugs are rather interesting. The males 
for the most part seek the females while they are still in their retreats. 
Coupling takes place usually at this time. Actual copulation does not 
usually take place until the bill bugs have come out from their retreats, 
the female carrying the male about until she has found a suitable stalk 
in which to oviposit. Then, while the females are making the egg 
cavity,* copulation usually takes place. Copulation is usually com¬ 
pleted long before the egg cavity is completed; the male, however, may 
continue to cling to the female for a considerable time after copulation, 
not infrequently clinging until oviposition is completed and sometimes 
clinging until the female starts another egg cavity. Sooner or later, 
