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one J, Md., stating that tliis wlieat moth had destroyed^ much 

 wlieat in some of the Middle States. He says it appeared 

 about forty-five years before, and gives a mode of destroying 

 it. He mentions that it is attested by Benj. Mifflin (in Bailey's 

 United Mag., 1777), that in 1776 the wheat moth did immense 

 mischief in Kent Co., Del. I have never seen this moth ; but 

 think it highly probable that the insect (which I believe is al- 

 leged to lay her eggs in the ripening grain), attacks our wheat 

 in some regions, and has been mistaken for the Hessian Fly. 

 The 0. tritici lays her eggs among the flowers of the wheat. 

 Now I have often seen in June, about sunrise, many insects of 

 this genus, but much smaller than the Hessian Fly, sporting 

 about the heads of the flowering wheat ; yet I never could de- 

 tect them laying eggs. However, I have often found minute 

 red larv^ within the glumes of the ripening grain, but they 

 did not appear, in numerous cases which I have examined, to 

 have done any harm to the grain. I have endeavored to ascer- 

 tain their further history, but in vain. It is probable that the 

 C. tritici injures the grain in some parts of our country, but 

 perhaps not to any great extent. 



With regard to the European origin of the Hessian Fly, I 

 have, for many years, had little doubt. By this I mean, of 

 course, that our insect was imported from Europe, and not that 

 the insect was first created in Europe, for it may have come 

 from Asia. In Duhamel du Monceau's Elemens d' Agriculture 

 (Paris, 1771, Vol. I, p. 299) you will find some account of an 

 insect Avhich is most probably our C. destructor. In May 1755, 

 the wheat was attacked : — " Nous y trouvons une quantite de 

 petits vers Manes, qui, dans la suite, deviennent couleur de ma- 

 tron ; Us se postent etitre les feuilles et rongent les tuyaux ; on 

 les trouve ordinairement entre le premier noeud et les racines, etc.^^ 

 Further on he speaks of larva? in the head of the wheat, one 

 of them of "very red carmine" which may be the larva I 

 have seen here. 



I cannot propose any remedy which will be likely to be 



