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stages of this insect. Yet notwithstanding the fact that it is so 
well known but very few farmers know anything about its life- 
history, as is indicated by the numerous letters received during 
the year in regard to it. 
The history of this beetle, given in a few words, is this: a 
native of the foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains, where it fed 
upon a wild species of nightshade (Solanum rostratum Dunal), 
it came in contact with the cultivated potato-plant as soon as 
the first trans-continental railroad was built. Finding the Irish 
potato to its taste, and finding it also in great abundance, the 
insect increased wonderfully in numbers by utilizing the food 
prepared by man, and soon all the potato-fields in the eastern 
United States were ravaged by it. At first the new-comer had 
no enemies and nothing kept it in check; and it was a number 
of years before parasitic and cannibal insects took hold of it, 
and before farmers learned to use Paris-green and other ar- 
senical poisons against it. The beetle has now a large number 
of enemies, both among other insects and among birds and ani- 
mals. 
There are three broods of the potato-beetle in Minnesota, of 
which the last hibernates in the ground in the form of a beetle. 
Karly in spring the winged beetles become active and fly about 
in the bright sunshine long before any potatoes have been 
planted. They can exist at this time with little or no food for 
a month and longer, and can fly long distances and thus invade 
new regions. As soon as the first potato-plants appear above 
ground the beetles are sure of finding them, and they lay eggs 
upon the under side of the leaves near their tips. The beetles 
themselves do some damage at this time by eating into the very 
young and delicate plants. The eggs, of which about six hun- 
dred are laid by each female, soon give forth hungry larve, 
which eat small and large holes in the growing leaves. In the 
course of about four weeks, sometimes five in an unfavorable 
spring, the larvee are full grown and descend to the ground 
and enter the same, forming, at a slight depth, a smooth cay- 
ity in which they transform to pups, as shown in the illustra- 
tion. This pupa soon changes to a beetle which, when suffi- 
ciently hardened, works its way to the surface, and soon starts 
a second brood. This brood again undergoes the same changes 
and soon beetles of a second brood will be found upon the po- 
