168 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



It is very humiliating to find oneself baffled in all attempts to 

 obtain the solution of a problem that never ought to have 

 been a problem at all. Pears of every kind fall by myriads 

 just after they are supposed to be knit; and this is a pheno- 

 menon that calls for a remedy, but hitherto has called iu 

 vain. It is obvious that when the fruit has fallen it is too 

 late to suggest a remedy for that year ; but it is also obvious 

 that the fallen fruit must in themselves contain the enemies, 

 and therefore present the opportunity of destroying them by 

 wholesale, and thus prevent the perpetuation of the 

 race. If we cut open a pear, — an infant pear, we will 

 call it, for they all when thus attacked perish in infancy, 

 — we find the interior occupied by small maggots of a 

 pale hue, but yet not quite white : these come out in 

 a few days, and congregate together on the surface of 

 the glass, with which the vessel containing them may be 

 covered ; this exodus is probably preparatory to a retreat 

 under ground for the purpose of undergoing metamorphosis. 

 Nothing can be well easier than collecting the fallen pears at 

 this season, and burning them; this summary process must 

 destroy the parent-fly for the next year at least, always 

 assuming that no flies will visit your orchard from other 

 orchards, which I see no possible method of preventing. But 

 I have not yet said to what class and order these flies belong, 

 and here we must have recourse, as usual, to Kirby and 

 Spence. From these high authorities we find that Mr. Knight 

 — I presume the late Andrew Knight, of Downton Castle — 

 attributed the mischief to a small four-winged fly. Kirby 

 and Spence suggest that this was a sawfly, — a suggestion 

 that is strongly corroborated by an observation of my own, 

 for on cutting open a number of these fallen pears, sent me 

 by Mr. Reeks, I find them inhabited by the larva of a sawfly 

 of minute, but unmistakable, proportions. In opposition to 

 this view I have received from Mr. Fitch a communication 

 stating that two species of Sciara and one of Cecydomia destroy 

 the embryo fruit of the year. The Sciara is most destructive ; 

 and the species are S. Pyri and S. Schraedbergii. Cecidomyia 

 might also infest pears when fruiting, but I hesitate to say 

 much respecting it; indeed, I feel that my knowledge of the 

 subject is very meagre and unsatisfactory, and I only allude 

 to it under the impression that I may possibly elicit informa- 

 tion from others. — Edward Newman. 



