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small grains and grasses, by this insect, than for many years previously. This 

 diminution I can only account for by the supposition that the eggs must have been 

 destroyed by some predaceous insect. The eggs were certainly laid in large numbers, 

 but there was very little evidence of the presence of the larvae, either in the growing 

 wheat or barley. 



Remedies. — The life-history of the American Frit Fly, in all its phases, is not yet 

 completely worked out, and much cai-eful work is yet required, of which accurate 

 notes must be taken at the tirne of observation, before any definite statement can be 

 made as to the best remedies to apply. 



From what is known of its habits, which seem to be very similar to those of its 

 associates the Hessian Fly and "Wheat-stem Maggot, some of the remedies which 

 have been suggested for those insects may be applied for this. 



The insect passes the winter in the form shown at Fig. 1, either in fall- 

 wheat or grasses. When fall-wheat is attacked a liberal top-dressing of some 

 quick-acting arti6cial fertilizer, sowed broad-cast over the fields in springtime, when 

 growth re-commences, would help injured plants to overcome part of the injury by 

 production of supplementary stools. 



A knowledge of the exact time of the occurrence and the number of the broods 

 would be of great use towards an intelligent treatment of stubbles and volunteer 

 crojjs, by burning over or deep-ploughing, after a field had been found to be attacked. 



I shall be obliged if any one who finds his crop attacked by this insect will 

 correspond with me promptly upon its first appearance. 



So far it can only be stated that two species of parasites were bred from this 

 insect during the past summer. The specimens were accidentally de&troyed so nothing 

 more can be said at present concerning them. 



The two figures used to illustrate the pupa and perfect fly of the American Frit 

 Fly are by Prof. G-arman, who has been good enough to lend me the blocks. They 

 show the stages fifteen times larger than in life, and will be a great assistance in 

 identifying the insect wherever it may be observed. 



The Cabbage Maggot. {Anthomyia brassicce, Bouche.) 



Attack.-^From one to many white, legless, maggots, which attack the roots of 

 young cabbage plants soon after they are pricked out, frequently destroying all the 

 roots and burrowing in the stems. 



In most parts of Canada the insect which gives the greatest trouble to the 

 cabbage-grower is the Cabbage Maggot. This is the larval form of a small gray, two- 

 winged fly, somewhat resembling the common house-fl}', but smaller, and with a 

 slenderer body. The wings, too, shut one over the other, and are conspicuously 

 longer than the body. The thorax, or portion to which the wings are attached, 

 in the male bears three dark stripes, and there is also one down the centre 

 and on the edge of each ring of the abdomen or hind-body. The female resembles 

 the male, but is more ashy in general colour, and has not the stripes on the thorax 

 nor the bands on the abdomen. 



It is the usual custom to force cabbage in frames, which are kept covered during 

 the first part of the season, but are left open for some time before the young plants 

 are pi-icked out in the field or garden. Although in years of bad attack plants are 

 sometimes injured in the frames, this is the exception. As a rule, they are not 

 infested until some time after they are transplanted. It is probable that the 

 handling, and the partially faded condition of the plants consequent to their trans- 

 plantation, bring out the characteristic odour of the cabbage, and that this attracts 

 the female flies, which lay their eggs close to the stem and as much below the sur- 

 face as possible. The females will spend a good deal of time running over the 

 earth and trying to find some crevice by which they can creep beneath the surface 

 of the soil and lay their eggs close to the stem, or they will creep close up to it and 

 push the eggs down below the surface by means of their extensile ovipositors. 

 These eggs in a few days hatch, and the young maggots at once attack the outside 



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