18 



24th of June, this hranch was examined again, when quite a number of the young 

 larvae were found just hatched from the eiigs which had then only been laid between four 

 Fio. 9. and five days ; many of the eggs, however, were 



found dried up, for which no cause could be dis- 

 covered. 



On the 30th of June, the larvae of a lace wing fly 

 Chri/sopa was observed sucking the juices from the young 

 larvaj of iV. ventricoti-us. This friendly helper was a little 

 more than a quarter of an inch long, and had placed itself 

 in the midst of a colony of the young currant worms and 

 had already consumed several before it was taken in the 

 act, Fig. 10 i represents one of their larvie about half- 

 jrown, the fly is shown in Fig. 1 1. The female lace wing fly 

 lays her egxs on long slender stalks, fig. It) a, placing ((uite 

 a group of them together ; they are very pretty objects. 

 It is supposed that the.se long stalks serre the purpo.se of 

 keeping the unhatched eggs at a safe distance from the 

 young larvae first hatched who would, otherwise, probably 

 eat them up. The perfect insect deposits these eggs 

 quite rapidly. On the 18th of June, when out col- 

 lecting with some friends, one of them captured a lace 

 wing fly and shut it up in a small box. In a few moments after, 

 having occasion to look at it, he found one egg deposited ; after walk- 

 ing a few yards with it to show it to us, which could not have occupied 

 him more than three or four minutes, the box was opened again when 

 it Was found that three more eggs had been deposited, we had no oppor- 

 tunity of watching the further deposition or maturing of these eggs. The 

 lace wing fly larvse are very voracious, and if .sufficiently numerous would 

 prove formiilable foes to the currant worm. 



From about the 1:2th of 31 ay to the end of the season, the 

 currant worms were very abundant. The earlier broods seem to 

 confine their operations almost entirely to the gooseberry bushes, 

 but after two or three weeks they attack the currant buslies with 

 equal vigour. On the 16th of June, we noted the fact that the 

 full grown larvae in great numbers, others half grown or more and 

 young colonies of the newly hatched larva; were all to be found at 

 that date on the same bushes. About the last of July, many colonies of these newly hatched 

 larvae were found almost entirely destroyed by some undiscovered foe; probably .«ome beneficial 

 in.scct. Many leaves were found with the rows of empty egg shells on them and with a few 

 holes eaten in them, but with the greater part of their substance uninjured, and with but little 

 or no injury to the leaves surrounding ; here evidently the greater portion of tiie larvaj had been 

 destroyed soon after hatching. 



On the 10th of July, while emptying out a number of the perfect flies from a box, search- 

 ing for the empty pupa case of an icheuniou fly found dead in the box, two pupae of veutri- 

 cosus were found. Tiiey were very pretty objects, about one quarter of an inch long, of a 

 very pale and delicate whitish green colour, becoming yellowish green at each extremity; 

 remarkably transparent and delicate looking. The eyes were black and prominent; the feet, 

 antennae and mouth parts all separately cased, with the same glos.sy transparent covering 

 almost crystal like. The wing cases were similar in appearance, but of a little deeper green, 

 bent under and reaching to the first abdominal segment. The pujia seems to be incapable of 

 movement, a slight quivering only of the limbs could be detected under the micro.scope wiien 

 pressed on. The feet all terminated in rounded knobs with no visible claws. • 



The Currant Measuring Worm Ellopia {Ahraxi>), ribearia, Fitch. 



This insect has also been very abundant during the past summer. As early as the third 

 week in May, the young larvse were found quite C( mmon on red currant, gooseberry and 

 black currant, and by the first of June many of them had grown to an inch in length ; judg- 



