102 
The Bulletin 
PLACING THE EGG 
So far as our observations go 1 lie eggs are laid below the surface of 
the ground either in the stem of the plant or loosely among the roots. 
In young plants the eggs are simply placed in cavities eaten, into the 
stem, but in older plants the eggs are carefully inserted in small pockets 
formed in the heavier outer leaves. 
Only a few individuals have been observed to lay more than a single 
egg per day, but in all individuals observed laying more than one egg 
per day the first egg laid was deposited more carefully than later eggs. 
From this we have concluded that females that lay eggs loosely in the 
ground have deposited more than one egg for that day. 
TIME REQUIRED FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL ACT OF OVIPOSITION 
dSTo hard and fast rule can be given about the length of time required 
in each individual act of oviposition. In general, the act may be 
divided into the following steps: (a) locating the plant, (b) turning 
head downward, (c) making the egg cavity, ( d ) turning with head up 
the plant and inserting the ovipositor, (e) ovipositing, (/) seeking 
shelter or another plant. Any one of these steps varies greatly 
with not only different beetles on different days, but with the same 
beetle at different times of the day and on different days. Any one 
of the steps may be hastened through in a few minutes or it may be 
prolonged for an hour or two. Sometimes one process is hastened 
forward with the greatest dispatch—perhaps, till it is completed; 
perhaps, till it is only partly completed; to be followed by a period 
when the beetle evidently does no work at all. If the beetle is disturbed 
in any way while engaged in any of the processes of ovipositing, it 
remains perfectly quiet for a longer or shorter period, but in no case 
observed did the bill bug leave the process of oviposition incompleted 
unless it was violently removed from the plant on which it was ovi¬ 
positing. 
Many beetles have been timed at all hours of the day, and, as a 
general rule, beetles are slower to complete the act of oviposition in the 
morning than they are in the evening, and slower in the evening than 
they are during the middle of the day. The following example of a 
bill bug observed almost constantly from about 6 :50 a. m. until 11:45 
a. m., during which time she laid two eggs, will be fairly illustrative of 
the time involved in the various steps of the whole process 3 An adult 
female, attended by a male, was first noted near a clod, under which 
there were two other females and a male, about 6 :50; wandered aim¬ 
lessly about until 7:05, when she approached a plant: end of step a. 
She stood perfectly still at the base of the plant until 7 :18, when she 
started to crawl up the plant, turning around, head downward, this 
step ( b ) being completed a few seconds before 7 :20. Worked on the 
egg cavity from 7 :20 to about 8 :05; last observed at 8 :00 o’clock, not 
