2^4 Afc Marsham'j Obfervations on the Infects 



" and gathered fuch as I thought appeared to anfwer bed to your 

 " defcription of difeafed ears, and brought them home for invef- 

 " tigation. From your account of the deftructive properties of this 

 " little infect, I expected to find it buried in the very heart of the 

 " grain, after having eaten its way thither ; but, to my great fatif- 

 " faction, no fuch thing has yet occurred ; and, from what I have 

 *' hitherto obferved, I have great doubt with refpect to its deflruclive 

 ^properties. This opinion may perhaps furprife you ; and my own 

 *' future obfervations, as well as thofe of your more fkilful and 

 ** learned friends, may poffibly prove me in an error; but my rea- 

 *' fons for thinking fo at prefent are, that when in the field the crop 

 " appeared to be very fine, and I had great difficulty in finding any 

 " ears that I fuppofed to be difeafed. In fome few ears I found the 

 " infect lodged between the hulks or outward fcales of the calyx ; 

 " nay, even in thofe where I found the infect, the grain itfelf did 

 44 not appear to have received any injury, only the hufk feemed 

 ** rather difcoloured. I think I have difcovered this little infect: 

 " both in the larva and chryfalis date; but it is fo minute, that I 

 " will not be pofitive whether what I took for the chryfalis was not 

 " a dead infect. I have placed all that I have yet found in an open 

 " box, along with fome ears of wheat, and covered it with fine 

 " gauze, to prevent the fly, or perfect: infect, from efcaping, when it 

 " comes forth. If I mould be fo fortunate as to fucceed in this^ 

 H or can make any further obfervations towards investigating the 

 M natural hiftory of this little animal, you may depend on hearing 

 ** from me again. It is with great pleafure that I can, I believe 

 " with truth, inform you, that our wheat in general is very fine 

 ** this year, the grain large and full, and a profpect of its yielding 

 ** well when it comes to be threfhed." 



In a letter dated Oct. i, 1795, tne ^ ime gentleman adds, " I was 



" in hopes that I fhould have been able to trace the minute infect: 



7 ** which 



