STRIG MAGGOT. 55 



that it could not be told wbethei- they were feeding on the part where 

 found ; but in one instance, where the portion of the short attachment 

 of a separate flower to the central stem of the bunch (or strig) was only 

 partially injured, I found one of the Cecid maggots lying within, with 

 a narrow stripe of bright green colour running partly along the central 

 line, and showing through the white transparent skin. 



This clear evidence that the Cecid maggot absolutely feeds on the 

 juices of the strig, joined to the observation of the great numbers 

 present, appears to show beyond doubt that we have here the obvious 

 cause of the Strig attack. 



Samples of infested strigs were also sent me from Knight's Place, 

 Eochester, on the 24th of September, by Miss C. E. Pye, who 

 remarked : — " I am sending you, by my father's request, a few Hops 

 which have been damaged by the insect which eats the stem of the 

 Hop. It has done us a great deal of damage." And information 

 was asked as to the nature of the pest. On examination I found 

 minute white maggots. On breaking one central stem I found two 

 within, in another I found one, and others dropped from the diseased 

 cones. 



The damage consisted in the central stem of the cone being so 

 destroyed by the attack that the outer rind and the central longitudinal 

 fibres were much separated, and this attacked portion decayed, as did 

 also the short side stalks of the separate flowers. Thus the "strig" 

 became a mere dead and decayed mass, showing tunnels and cell-like 

 cavities caused by the injury from the feeding of the maggots, or by 

 the thin rind over the injury splitting away from the central fibres. 



The maggots had certainly power of skipping, for I noticed one or 

 two in the act of thus changing position, and constantly during 

 progress of examination I found the maggots had left the spots where 

 they were noticeable a short time previously. They varied a good deal 

 in size ; the average length was about one-sixteenth of an inch, biit 

 they ran a good deal both smaller and larger. The " anchor process" 

 beneath the head end of the body of the larva was plainly noticeable. 

 This was deeply and somewhat bluntly bifid at the free extremity, and 

 had a rather long and slight stem. The Hop -cones were stunted and 

 small, and broke up easily, from the destroyed condition of the central 

 stem. 



Specimens of the same infestation were also sent me by favour of 

 Mr. Matthew Bell, of Bourne Park, Canterbury, from the Hop-grounds 

 at Chelham Castle, also near Canterbury ; and in these, as well as in 

 those above noticed, the deeply bifid anchor process was clearly 

 observable. Mr. Bell mentioned that he forwarded these as a sample 

 of Hops which were infested by a minute grub which eats the core of 

 the Hop so that the leaves of the cone all fall off, together with some 



