The female occupies about three weeks in depos: iting her eggs and, according to Dr. Shimer's estimate, she deposits about 500. The 'egg requires about two weeks to hatch, and the bug becomes full-grown and acquires its wings in from forty to fifty days after hatching. There are, as is well-known to entomologists, many genera of the.half -winged bugs which, in Europe, occur in two distinct dimorphous forms, with no intermediate grades between the two; namely, a Short-winged, or sometimes even a completely wingless type' and a long-winged type. Fre quently the two occur promiscuously together, and are found promiscuously copulating so that they can not possibly be distinct species. Some times the long-winged type occurs in particular seasons, and especially in very hot seasons. More rarely the short-winged type occurs in a different locality from the long-winged type, and usually in that case in a more northerly locality. iffe have a good illustration of this latter peculi arity ia the case of the Chinch Bug, for a dimor phous short-winged form occurs in Canada, and Dr. Fitch describes it, from specimens received, as being a variety, under the name of apterus. Besides the cannibal foes of the Chinch Bug, and disease, heavy rains are destructive, sometimes killing them over large extents of country. In fact it is only in hot, dry seasons that they fairly swarm. So, also, they cannot hybernate in cold, damp ground, their natural home being in the dryest soils. The methods and agencies for the destruction of the Chinch Bug will be pretty much included in the following: Their natural enemies. The plan of anticipating their ravages by sowing grain so early, in the spring, as to get in advance of their depredations. The attempt to save a part of our crops by preventing the migration of the bugs from one field to another. The method of destroying them by burning corn stalks and other rubbish, in the fall of the year. The attempt to prevent their breeding, to any serious extent, by abstaining from the cultivation of those giains upon which they chiefly subsist. Among the important natural enemies of the chinch-bug, are the Spotted Lady-bird, (t3ppo dam& maeulata); the Trim Lady-bird, (Cocoinella manila); a Lace Wing Fly (Chrysopa plorabunda) and the Insidious Flower Bug (Anthoeoris insuli asu8). This last resembles the Chinch Bug, and and has often been mistaken for it. Quail also
eat the Chinch Bug, The second plan is the early sowing of grain. A modification of this plan has been practiced as follows: With twelve bushels of spring wheat mix one bushel of winter rye, and sow in the usual manner. The rye not heading out, but spreading out close to the ground, the bugs will content themselves with eating it, until the wheat is too far advanced to be injured by them. There will, of course, be no danger of the winter rye mixing with the spring wheat. Take common fence-boards, six inches or less wide, and run them around the piece, set edgewise, and so that the bugs cannot get under them or between the joints, and then spread either pine or coal tar on the upper edge, and litey will not cross it. The tar needs renew ing 1111 the edge gets saturated, so that it will keep wet and not dry in any more, and either kind of tar is effectual. Then dig boles close to the boards, about like a post-hole, once in four or five rods, and run a strip of tar from the top of the board to the bottom on the outside oppo site the hole, and they will leave the board, and in trying to get around the tarred stripe will slide into the hole, where they will be obliged to remain till they can be buried at leisure, and new holes opened for more insects to drop into. In relation to the management of crops, etc., in the case of Chinch Bugs, Dr. Cyrus Thomas draws the following conclusions: That it is useless to attempt to raise spring wheat or barley where Chinch Bugs have been present in any consider able numbers the preceding year, unless we have reason to believe that they have been killed off by heavy rains. That in case the season should be favorable to the propagation of the Chinch Bug we always have it in our power to get rid of these pests by the abandonment of these two kinds of grain for one or two years. Bu't to make this course effective there must be a concert of action by farmers over a 'Considerable section of the country. That the presence of Chinch Bugs the preceding year will not prevent the raising of corn or any of the winter grains. With regard to oats the testimony thus far is that if this grain be sown where Chinch Bugs abound, and especially if it be sown exclusively, ft will be damaged to a greater or less extent the first year, but that the bugs probably will not continue to breed in it to any great extent in succeeding years.