F. W. Edwards and C. P>. Williams 261 



Seedlings, particularly Primula and Campanula, under glass at 

 this Institution, have, at various times during the past few years, 

 suffered slightly from the attacks of small Dipterous larvae. The 

 larva was of the Mycetophilid type, very long and slender with a 

 shining black head, and adults bred out and captured in the hot-houses 

 have been identified by Mr Edwards as Sciara Iritici as mentioned 

 above. 



The larvae are found usually below the surface of the soil where 

 they eat the roots and the collar of the seedlings. Frequently the root 

 was eaten right across below the collar so that the dying rosette of 

 the seedling would be found resting on the soil unattached to the roots. 

 Sometimes a cotyledon or a small leaf which was touching the surface 

 of the soil would be damaged on its lower surface. Pupae were found 

 also just below the surface and the empty skins projecting slightly 

 above having either worked their way there before emergence or been 

 dragged to this position by the emerging fly. The adults were found 

 commonly running about on the surface of the soil, on the sides of the 

 boxes and pots containing the seedlings and occasionally resting under- 

 neath the boxes. They ran actively, were reluctant in taking to flight 

 and their flight was not powerful. 



Three larvae, quite large on the 9th January, 1912, were given a 

 small piece of root of a larger Campanula which they fed on readily, 

 removing the softer tissues and leaving the fibrous vascular bundles. 

 They spun a slight web and pupated on the same w r eb on the 19th, 

 20th, and 21st of January. The pupa was pale shining yellow and 

 2 mm. long by 0-7 mm. broad. A day or two after pupation the eyes 

 began to darken. After four days the anterior end of the pupa darkened 

 and this gradually spread till the whole, just before emergence, was 

 dark brown. One adult emerged on the 25th and two on the 27th, 

 giving a pupal stage of 6-7 days. 



In emergence the pupal skin split along each side of the antennae, 

 leaving the covering of these free except at the base where it was 

 joined to the ventral surface of the pupa case. 



Another dipteron, Scatella quadrata, is nearly always associated with 

 Sciara tritici but as yet no damage has been traced to it. 



A Sciara larva, indistinguishable from the above, was found out 

 of doors in the root of an old Campanula. It pupated among the fibres 

 of the root but unfortunately died in the pupal stage. 



The pest has been kept under control by regular fumigation of 

 the houses, chiefly with fumigants containing nicotine. It was also 



