182 Annals Entomological Society of America  [Vol. VII, 
are often deposited in the constriction between the perianth 
and ovary, as is shown by the resinous substance found fre- 
quently in this region (plate X XIX, fig. 19). 
Green staminate and pistillate buds are often “‘stung’”’ by 
the fly, the eggs being laid in the various parts of the unopened 
flowers (plate X XVII, fig. 6), as has just been described for 
the mature flowers. 
4. Oviposition in pumpkins—The trypetid deposits its eggs 
in small, green pumpkins, but the larger, uninjured pumpkins 
are immune from the attacks of the pest, because the fly is 
unable to pierce a hard rind with its ovipositor. If, however, 
the rind of a large pumpkin has been injured, the fruit fly will 
lay its eggs within the wound. ‘The insect will oviposit in an 
exceedingly small hole extending through the resinous substance 
of a healed wound, such as is often due to a previous infestation 
by the pest (plate XXVIII, fig. 10). On a pumpkin in the 
field, eighteen melon flies were counted with their ovipositor 
inserted within a crack extending through the resinous exuda- 
tion of such a wound and new arrivals were coming continu- 
ously to oviposit in the same place. At the end of that day 
the resinous material was removed, and hundreds and hundreds 
of eggs were found closely packed in the pulp beneath the crack. 
After the melon fly ‘‘stings’”’ the unripe pumpkin and squash, 
the tissue surrounding the receptacle in which the eggs are laid 
is killed, probably by a secretion which the fly pours over the 
eggs. In the further development of these cucurbits a de- 
pression results (plate XXVIII, figs. 9, 11 and 12) wherever 
oviposition has occurred. Small pumpkins which have been 
“stung” repeatedly, may assume all sorts of abnormal shapes 
in their further growth (plate XXVIII, fig. 12). 
5. Injury to stems.—The recently hatched larve devour 
the tissue of the tender stems of young cucurbits and cause 
decay, then they penetrate the roots and destroy the plants 
entirely. Several acres of watermelons under observation 
were replanted a number of times and, without exception, 
every plant was destroyed in this way. The maggots often 
destroy the terminal shoots of old pumpkin vines by penetrating 
from one internode to another and feeding on the tissue of the 
tender stems. A yellowish substance, probably the excrement 
of the pest, stains the undevoured fibrous tissue of the stems. 
No maggots were found in the old stems or roots. 
