THE FRIT-FLY. 



reduced. The plants harboring these worms did not indi- 

 cate their presence until flowering time, but as soon as the 

 head began to form, the stem above the injured joint wilted, 

 turned yellowish and soon broke down entirely by bending 

 over the infested spot. All sorts of explanations were given 

 at the time, such as too rapid growth of the plant on ac- 

 count of excess of moisture in spring, lack of strength in the 

 stem, a blistering hot sun, and numerous other ones. But 

 when the infested stems were investigated it was found that 

 the worm had weakened them to such an extent, that when 

 the head was formed the plant became top-heavy, and broke 

 down at the weakest spot from force of gravity. This 

 iDreaking down was not observed by most farmers, but the 

 damage became visible after the grain had been cut and re- 

 moved, when very many heads of wheat were found upon 



the ground, which had 

 broken down before har- 

 vest, and which conse- 

 quently were not cut by 

 the reaper. These heads 

 were either entirely empty 

 or filled with berries more 

 or less badly shrunken. 

 The bent or partly broken 

 stems were as a general 

 rule still adhering to the 

 lowerportionoftheplant. 

 This bending or breaking 

 had taken place most fre- 

 quently above a node or 

 joint about three inches 

 from the ground. Just 

 . ,, ., ^ , ,^ ^ ^ , below this breakage, and 



Fig. 2. — Frit-fly: a, adult fly; b, larva or ^ ' 



Tnaggot; c, pnparium. Greatly enlarged, the immediately abovC the 

 -mark under fly indicating natural size. Origi- _ -^ 



11 ai. joint, the culprits were 



found. In most cases but one puparium, but in a few cases 

 two, three, or even more puparia could be detected. Such a 

 puparium (fig. 2, c) is the contracted and hardened skin of 

 the larva or worm ; it is of a glossy chestnut-brown color, 



