94 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



the information published is contained in 21 of the small pages of a crown 

 octavo pamphlet, so methodical is the arrangement and so concise are the 

 statements, that it may be said to contain all that it is important for the 

 farmer lo know of what has been positively ascertained concerning the 

 habits of this destructive insect and the most approved remedies for keep- 

 ing it in check. With Miss Ormerod's pamphlet he can in a few minutes 

 learn from her excellent illustrations whether an attack upon his crop 

 should be ascribed to the Hessian Fly or not. And if so, he will also 

 find himself provided with advice as to the best steps to take to limit the 

 injury to the smallest possible amount. 



Immediately upon the first appearance of the Hessian Fly in England, 

 Miss Ormerod, with characteristic promptness, visited the fields attacked, 

 and at once identified the marauder. That there should be no mistake 

 in the matter, she referred specimens to the highest authorities, and amongst 

 others to our ex-President, Prof. Saunders. All of them agreed with her 

 that it was the true Hessian Fly. She then lost no time in writing to the 

 newspapers and describing how the attack might be recognized. In a few 

 weeks she had examined all the literature on the subject, and had accu- 

 mulated a vast amount of information as to the extent of the injury com- 

 mitted ; so that before the winter set in she was able to give the farmers 

 good practical advice as to the best means of stamping out the new 

 enemy. This she has now consolidated into the useful report under con- 

 sideration. We have, first, a short historical sketch of the fly as an injuri- 

 ous insect ; then an estimate of the injury caused during the past season 

 in England and Scotland, which was considerable. In one English and 

 three Scotch localities the loss was calculated to be several bushels to the 

 acre. The appearance of the attacked crops is described in a plain, in- 

 telligible manner, together with the insect in its different stages, from the 

 egg to the perfect fly, and an abstract is given of its life-history. The 

 important question, "Where does the Hessian Fly come from? " is then 

 discussed. This treats of the different means by which the insect may be 

 introduced, and it is shown that it may come in the " flax-seed " state 

 amongst seed-grain, or in straw which having come from infested countries 

 either as straw-cargoes, or as packing, is used for horses and cows in 

 London, and then sent out to farms in the country as slightly used litter, 

 or as " long manure." When this is the case, says Miss Ormerod, "a 

 sufficiently large proportion of the flies in the fla.x-seed state are likely to 

 develop to cause mischief such as we have seen in the past season. On 



