PEAR GNAT MTDGE. 87 



been completed, and the maggots gone. In most cases a great part of 

 the inside of the Pear was hollowed out, or decayed, consequently on 

 the attack. The decayed part sometimes reaching across the Pear, 

 and often making a damp, quite soft, decayed condition on part of the 

 side of the Pear through which it was presumable the maggots had 

 made their escape. Some, I found from examination, might veiy 

 probably have escaped by the communication of the infested decaying 

 and gnawed portion of the inside of the Pear with the opening at the 

 calyx end of the Pear. The maggots appeared to be mostly fully 

 grown, and I counted their numbers up to about six and twenty in two 

 of the Pears which I examined. They were very active, and their 

 skipping powers were very noticeable as they dispersed on the dark 

 red and black tablecloth of my study table. — (E. A. 0. ; June 7th.) 



The following notes, showing presence of severe attack of the Pear 

 Midge maggot on trees where there had been some small amount of 

 infestation in the previous year, were sent me on June 9th by Mr. F. 

 W. Thomas, from Wannock Gardens, Polegate, Sussex, with specimens 

 accompanying : — 



"I am sending you some Pears which are attacked by a maggot 

 which I do not know. Last year a few of the Pears on the tree 

 affected turned black, and fell off. . . . On examination to-day I 

 find that the whole of the crop, and also of other Pear trees close by, 

 are attacked by these maggots ; not one fruit is good. . . . The 

 Pear maggots, when placed on the table, have the power to jump." — 

 (F. W. T.) 



The specimens, about twenty in number, showed attack of D. 

 pyrivora similar to other little Pears sent. Some of the Pears were 

 advanced to about an inch in length, and the maggots were leaving, 

 or had left, some of them. 



On June 13th Mr. Thomas further wrote : — 



" I have done as you suggest, and have gathered all the fruit I can 

 find affected ; most of my trees are young, and so I have no difficulty 

 in gathering the fruit ; but I am sorry to say I find other trees 

 attacked (although not so badly) in different parts of my garden. I 

 am inclined to think that the maggots sometimes leave the Bears 

 before they drop, as I find a good many still on the trees, but the 

 maggots are gone." — (F. W. T.) 



On June 9th a small consignment of Pears was forwarded to me 

 by Mr. W. H. Hall, from Six Mile Bottom, Cambridgeshire, with a 

 request for information as to the nature of the attack. 



In this case the samples were in various stages of infestation of 

 D. jnjrivora, from the early condition of being simply chambered about 

 the centre by the maggots up to the completed destruction in which 

 they had almost entirely left the Pears. The Pears were about 



