Dec, '12] SEVERIN AND HARTUNG: MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY 443 



1902. Chittenden, F. H. Origin and Distribution of the Beet Web Worm. Bureau 



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1903. Chittenden, F. H. The Sugar-Beet Web Worm. Bureau of Entomology 



Bulletin No. 43 pp. 38-39. 

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No. 233 pp. 8-9. 

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WILL THE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY (CERATITIS 



CAPITATA WIED.) BREED IN BANANAS UNDER 



ARTIFICIAL AND FIELD CONDITIONS ?i 



Henry H. P. Severin, Ph.D., Honorary Fellow, University of Wisconsin, 

 AND William J. Hartung, B.S. 



On June 24th, 1911. California placed a quarantine against all 

 Hawaiian fruits excepting pineapples and bananas. A few months 

 later extensive experiments were started at the College of Hawaii by 

 the writers in order to determine whether the Mediterranean fruit fly 

 could develop in green, ripe and over-ripe pineapples and bananas. 

 While this work was in progress, the following letter was received from 

 the president of the College of Hawaii : 



November 9, 1911. 

 Prof. H. H. Severin, 

 College of Hawaii, 

 Honolulu, T. H. 



Dear Sir. — 



I was yesterday informed by .Judge Henry E. Cooper, President of the Board of 

 Regents, that considerable anxiety e.xists regarding the possibihties of the Mediter- 

 ranean fruit fly attacking bananas, and that this anxiety finds one of its phases in the 

 investigations which j^ou are conducting on the problem as to whether the fruit fly 

 maj' naturally or artificially be propagated on this fruit. So great is this anxiety that 

 a number of requests have been lodged with the President of the Board to have this 

 work stopped and the publicalion or announcement of any data on this question thus 

 far withheld. The President of the Board feels that if an affirmative report on this 

 question should get out great damage would result to the banana industry and the 

 College would be brought imder severe criticism. 



It is mj' personal opinion that the question is of great scientific importance whether 

 negative or positive results are secured. However, it is my duty to convey to you 



1 Most of the results of this investigation were read by Mr. William J. Hartung 

 before the Forty-first State California Fruit Growers' Convention at Santa Barbara, 

 Cal., on June 13, 1912. See Mon. Bui. Cal. Hort. Comm. No. 9, Vol. 1, 566-69. 



