30 Forty-first Report on the State Museum. 



Within a few years, after a long cessation, apparently, o.f its depre- 

 dations among us, this insect has again appeared, resumed its 

 destructive work, and caused attention to be drawn to it. 



In the year 1884, it was observed to abound to a considerable extent 

 in portions of Ohio, in wheat straw that was being threshed. 



Recent Attacks in New York. 



In the autumn of 1884, examples of infested straw and injured wheat 

 giown thereon, were received from the farm of Mr. Robert J. Swan, 

 of Geneva, N. Y. The injury committed had been severe, involving, 

 it was stated, nearly a total loss of the crop. Large numbers of the 

 larvfB were found imbedded in the straw near the lower joint — 

 eleven in one piece of an inch and three-fourths in length; and of the 

 wheat, only about one per cent of the kernels was fully developed — 

 a large proportion of the grains being shrivelled, and nearly one-half 

 were so light in weight as to float when dropj)ed in a glass of water. 

 If the sample sent was a fair representation of the infested field, it 

 would appear to have fallen from sixty to seventy-five per cent below 

 its normal yield. 



From an examination of the straw and the contained larvjie, the 

 insect, in this case, was believed to be identical with Isosoma tritici, 

 which had been discovered in wheat in Illinois, in 1880, and was so 

 named and described by Professor Riley in the American Naturalist for 

 March, 1882. A notice of the attack by the above named insect, as 

 new to the State of New York, was communicated by me to Dr. Sturte- 

 vant, of the N. Y. State Agricultural Experimental Station, and pub- 

 lished as Bulletin No. C [100] of the Station. When, in the following 

 spring, examples of the perfect insect emerged from the straw, they 

 l^roved to be, not the species supposed, but our old acquaintance, 

 Isosoma hordei. 



In 1886, the insect occurred abundantly in the vicinity of Ithaca, 

 Chemung Co., N. Y. Some straw that was being used for making 

 pajDer at the paper mill in Ithaca, was found to be unsuitable for the 

 purpose, from the woody nature of some portions of it. On examina- 

 tion at the mill, small insects were discovered in these woody pieces, 

 which, being submitted to Professor Comstock, of Cornell University, 

 were readily identified by him, as the joint-worm, Isosoma hordei. About 

 one straw in twenty-five was infested. 



How^ it may be Discovered. 

 When the insect abounds in the straw, and many are contained in a 

 single stem, they frequently cause the stalk to curl and bend over at 

 the infested point; but often the external appearance is unaltered? 



