No. 115.] 97 



The iollowinjij note probably refers to the same attack: 



At the commencement of the past summer, an early species of 

 grass, called June grass in this vicinity, was iu several localities 

 prematurely destroyed soon after flowering, the stalks, from some 

 one of the joints, upward, withering and turning to a straw color, 

 and to such an extent that one person informs me, on casuall}' 

 approaching his meadow one morning, it presented so white an 

 appearance that his first thought was that it was covered with hoar- 

 frost. The connection of the stem immediately above the joint 

 seemed to be entirely destroyed, so that the slightest force withdrew 

 it from its sheath, by which it alone continued to be sustained in 

 an upright position. From the analogy of this affection to that 

 produced by the Hessian fly in wheat, I infer it to have been caused 

 by a kindred species of Cecido/nyia. [^Quarterly Journal of 

 Agrieidiure and Science, 1, 1845, p. 263.) 



In some examinations made by me, I have found the stem not 

 roughened and eroded, but simply shriveled almost to a thread, 

 but its outer surface unbroken. If this is also the result of insect 

 attack, it must be from another species, which enters the stem and 

 feeds within it. Possibly this is a later attack than the preceding, 

 for in some of the stalks of grass sent to me by Mr. J. J. Thomas, 

 showing apparent external erosion directly above the two upper 

 joints, one contained, just within the sheath of the grass blade, 

 a half dozen globular, transparent, rather large eggs, whicli have 

 subsequently hatched, and the young larv?e are now being fed by 

 me within sections of grass stems which I have given them. These 

 larvae are of some species of moth, and when observed, in changing 

 their food to fresh stems, show themselves as remarkably active 

 loopers or measuring worms. (They failed to reach maturity.) 



Under another sheath were found same dark-colored eggs, shaped 

 like a banana, which apparently belong to some bug of the order 

 of Hemiptera. 



It would seem from the above that there still remains much to 

 be learned of our grass insects. 



Prof. Peck, State Botanist, has expressed his opinion that the 

 shriveling of the stem, as above noticed, is not the result of any 

 diseased condition of the grass. He thinks that in former years he 

 has observed small larvte associated with the eroded condition of 

 the stem. 



An editorial notice of the attack in the Ifew England Farmer 

 for June, 19, 1886, ascribes it to "a species of thrips." This may 



I Assembly, No. 115.] 7 



