New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 331 
under surface of the leaves, usually upon the upper half of the 
willow or upon blades of grass or weeds growing in the willow 
rows. The are shining black on the anterior half and dark brown 
on the posterior. They vary in length but measure on the aver- 
age, when first formed, about 9 mm. and are about one-third as 
broad on the anterior half, tapering from the middle to the pos- 
terior extremity. (Plate XX, Figures 3 and 4.) 
As the time approaches for the mature insect to come forth, the 
outline of the pupa becomes more distinct. The posterior half 
which becomes an empty skin, shrivels and the true pupa stands 
out prominently. It is oval in outline, more or less obtusely 
rounded at each end, and measures about 6 mm. by 3.5mm. The 
pupa stage lasts from 10 days to 2 weeks. 
_ The mature insect.— The mature insects, beetles, vary in length 
from 5 mm. to 8 mm. and are a little more than half as broad as 
long. ‘The general color is black and gold above and dark metallic 
green beneath. The head and thorax are black, the latter having 
broad lateral margins of brick-red partially interrupted at the 
middle by a more or less distinct black mark. The elytra are 
marked with black and gold, the black being in three interrupted 
longitudinal lines on each elytron. The lateral and posterior 
margins are brick-red. The inner margins are black and when 
the elytra are at rest form a broad, median line of black. The 
other markings on the elytra vary. In some individuals the gold 
predominates, while in others the black is more prominent. 
The legs are brick-red and ‘black, the former color usually pre- 
vailing on the posterior third of the femur and the anterior two- 
thirds of the tibia. The tarsi are marked more or less regularly 
with brick-red and black. Plate XX, Figure 5, is from a photo- 
graph showing the mature insect natural size and enlarged. 
_ The beetles or “hard shells” as they are commonly known 
among willow-growers, are most numerous on the willows, about 
Syracuse, from the middle or latter part of June until the second 
or third week in July. During this time the willows grow rapidly, 
about three feet being a fair growth, and as the beetles feed vora- 
