H'iflory of Tipula Tritxi. 9? 



linea, and always taking my pencil and memorandum-book with me 

 when I went into the fields to make my obfervations. 



Previous to the feafon when the ear begins to emerge from the 

 folium vaginans (b), I have, as opportunities of examining fir planta- 

 tions occurred, been upon the watch for De Geer's Tipula Pini {c) ; 

 but not being fo fuccefsfiil as to meet with that infeft, I cannot afcer- 

 tain how nearly it may be related to its congener of the wheat. 

 I was careful alio, at the fame time, to infpeft the plants that were 

 in bloffom in the borders of the wheat fields, in hopes of finding 

 {copula connexos) the two fexes of Tipula Tritici, but with no better 

 fuccefs. 



It is to be obferved that I had ufually chofen the forenoon for 

 making my inquiries. It chanced that on the third of June lad t 

 had occafion to pals through a field planted with wheat, in the even- 

 ing, and, to my great furprife and fatisfaiSlion, my attention was im- 

 mediately arretted by an innumerable hofl of our Tipula flying about 

 in all directions ; and from that day to the latter end of the fame 

 month thefe infedls were always to be met with in the wheat fields. 

 They were feldom to be fcen much before feven o'clock ; at eight 

 the field appeared to fwarm with them, at which hour they were 

 all bufily engaged in laying their eggs; and about nine they gene- 

 rally difappeared : they were indeed fo extremely numerous, that if 

 each of them were to lay its eggs in a different floret, and thofe eggs 

 were permitted to produce larvae, I think, upon a moderate calcula- 

 tion, more than half of the grain would be defl;royed. I have no- 



(i) I was ftrongly tempted to introduce two or three new words into this Paper, viz. 

 ivaginate and evngination, to exprefs without a periphrafis the emerging of the ear from 

 the fclhim vaginuns, and ov'ipofitkn for the laying of eggs, from the Latin phrafe o-ca 

 pontre; but left this liberty (hould wear the appearance of aHsajtion, I refrained from it. 



(f) Linn. Tranj. vol. iv. p. 128. 



Vol. V. O tlccd 



