ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 99 



In the case of the insect upon which I beg here to offer a few notes, ho household 

 pest is, perhaps, better known. The manufacturer, the grocer, and the housekeeper, have 

 each a considerable share in the loss which it occasions. For ages it has been the chief 

 enemy of the chesse maker, the best and richest of his products being most liable to its 

 attacks. It does not, however, confine its ravages to cheese, but within comparatively 

 recent years has become known as an equally, or rather far more, formidable destroyer of 

 cured meats, causing the loss of thousands of dollars' worth of property annualh^, and 

 necessitating the spending of other thousands in labor and mechanical contrivances to 

 keep it in check. 



Although of European origin, it has spread to all parts of North America, where it 

 probably does tenfold the damage that it does in its native country. In view of these 

 facts, and considering the hundreds of articles that have been published upon insects of 

 no greater economic importance, it is really surprising that the American records of this 

 pest should be so few and so brief. Before entering upon an investigation of its habits £ 

 made a search for the literature of the subject, only to find that it had received but slicrht 

 attention from our entomologists, from either a scientific or an economic standpoint The 

 only notes relating to it that are to be found in the annals of American Economic Ento- 

 mology are the following : 



In the American Erdomolngist (vol. n.), published in 1870, is a copy of an article by 

 X. A. Willard, giving a somewhat elaborate account of the destructiveness of the insect as 

 a " cheese fly," with various recommendations of measures to be taken in factories and 

 storerooms to preserve the products from its attacks. Appended to this is an editorial 

 note giving an outline of its life history, with the statement, that so far as was then 

 known, it was exclusively a cheese pest. In volume in. of the same periodical, published 

 in 1880, Dr. Riley briefly discusses it as an enemy of cured meats, here assertinw its 

 identity with the cheese fly. Dr. Packard, in his Guide, gives in a few lines its principal 

 characteristics, and refers to an observation of Prof. Putnam concerning the method by 

 which it " skips." In volume iv. of Pysche I remember to have seen somethin" on the 

 subject, but can not at present lay my hands upon the number containing it. In the 

 report of the Entomological Society of Ontario for 1884 is also a brief paragraph of 

 description of it as a cheese pest. Not doubting that there were other works not in my 

 library in which it was more fully discussed, I applied to Dr. Williston, as our leading 

 dipterologist, who very kindly answered : 



I, also, liave had occasion to search for the life history of Piophila casei without success. I supposed 

 there would be no difficulty in finding a full descriptioa of its habits but wa^ .surprised to find no, or very 

 meagre, references in any literature ao my command. ... If you have studied its habits you will do a 

 service by publishing them, even though it may happen that th'ey have already been published, which I 

 doubt. 



Dr, Riley, however, informs me that the literature of the insect is sufficiently exten - 

 sive, though scattered, and that several European writers, and especially H. F. Kesslen 

 have within recent years given careful accounts of its development and life history. 



As it was my desire to bring the matter to the attention of the economic entomolo- 

 gists at the present meeting, I did not have time to obtain transcriptions from the author- 

 ities to which Dr. Riley refers, and so will offer here a popular synopsis of my personal 

 observations, in which I am conscious there are some gaps and uncertainties. Those 

 desiring a more minute and technical account can consult the works named by Dr. Riley. 



My attention was directed to this pest about a year ago by an employee of one of 

 the largest packing and curing establishments in the West, who wrote : " We wish to 

 know what it is, and especially at what period in its life it can best be fought. It entails 

 an enormous loss upon all our packing-house companies." Upon my request specimens of 



the infested meat were kindly sent me, and Mr. D , my correspondent, gave me much 



valuable information concerning its work in the packing-house. 



The packages of ham and shoulder were received during the month of August, 1892, 

 and consequently represented the worst work of the insect for the season. Swarms of 

 flies escaped from the boxes as they were opened, and myriads of " skippers " and puparia 

 in all stages of development were disclosed, clustering around the bony ends, among the 

 tendons, and in the softer fat and oil saturated folds of the canvas wrappers. The lean 

 meat was never in any case penetrated, although eggs and small skippers were abunc. 



