450 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY - [Vol. 5 



of Victoria, May 8, 1907, by C. French, Government Entomologist, 

 Department of Agriculture, Victoria, on Fruit Flies, Bulletin No. 24, 

 Department of Agriculture and Intelligence of South Australia. Since 

 French claims that he has proved eggs to have been deposited in green 

 bananas by the Mediterranean fruit flies on many occasions, we re- 

 quested the editor to return our manuscript so that we could quote this 

 author in full. 



In the first paragraph of his paper he says that the Mediterranean 

 fruit fly "larvae have been found in peaches, pears, quinces, apricots, 

 plums, nectarines, guavas, oranges, lemons, apples, citrons, loquats, 

 mangoes, pumpkins, bananas, tomatoes, pineapples, etc. 



"The larvae of this fly were found in bananas imported from Queens- 

 land on the 14th August, and on being placed in the breeding jars 

 pupated on the 20th August; the perfect flies emerged on the 4th 

 October and lived for several weeks, etc. 



"It has frequently been stated in Queensland and New South Wales 

 that the flies will not attack green fruit. This is a mistake, as I have 

 on many occasions proved eggs to have been deposited in green bananas 

 before shipment, as no half-ripe bananas are ever shipped from Queens- 

 land to Melbourne." 



Speaking of the origin of the pest in new localities French writes, 

 "From observations made in the field, I am speaking of the northeast 

 part of Victoria, the trouble has been traced through the medium of 

 imported fruits, bananas and oranges especially, infested fruits of 

 both kinds being commonly obtainable in Melbourne, the suburbs, 

 and in the country townships. 



"As one who has seen the fly at work both in New South Wales and 

 Queensland, I assert that the ravages of the Mediterranean fly in 

 Victoria are quite as bad as either the Queensland or New South Wales 

 experiences have been able to record, half-green peaches being attacked 

 as badly as those either ripening or ripe. ... It has been ques- 

 tioned by some persons whether this fly is found in Queensland at all, 

 but the fact of it having been reared by us from bananas and oranges 

 from Maryborough places the matter beyond the shadow of a doubt. 

 If such be not the case, then the fruit must have been affected during 

 transit, a theory which I for one, will not entertain." 



I wish to call attention to the fact that French is well aware of the 

 fact that the Queensland fruit fly {Dacus tryoni Froggatt) is a serious 

 pest of the banana, for he writes, "The maggots are always found in 

 over-ripe or decaying fruit or in cracked bananas, and these are the 

 ones that should be discarded as soon as the bunches are looked over." 



