98 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
cracking and the escape of the larvae. The maggots at this time 
were more than twice the size they were six days before, ranging 
from 1.25 mm to about 2 mm in length. They were yellowish 
white and appear much more active than earlier. The breastbone 
was quite distinct, the anterior margin being well chitinized. 
Doctor Schmidberger, who studied this insect in Europe, states 
that he found midges laying eggs as soon as the white petals 
showed between the lobes of the calyx, the petals being pierced by 
the long ovipositor. Only four days, according to his observations, 
were necessary between deposition of eggs and the finding of young 
larvae in the fruit. An examination of a young pear shows that 
the eggs can be deposited near the middle of the developing fruit if 
the female midge simply reaches 
down between the pistils and the 
thickened fleshy walls of the small 
pear. Mr Albright states that the 
beurre bosc, Bartlett and seckel pears 
are injured in about the order named, 
and an examination shows that the 
former two have a somewhat larger 
cavity at the base of the pistils. The 
larvae doubtless begin work at the 
bottom of the cavity and with com- 
paratively little effort make their 
way into the developing fruit upon 
which they subsist. June 3d a few 
of the beurre bose pears received 
from Mr Albright were in fair con- 
Fig. 12. Section of pear injured dition, several were in such a state 
by pear midge (original) 


that a little pressure resulted in rup- 
ture, while in one or two the decay had advanced so far as to involve 
and discolor a portion of the external walls. It was only a question 
of a few days before many of the affected pears would rupture and 
the larvae escape. The full-grown maggots were at this time about 
3 mm long, moderately stout, whitish or whitish orange and with a 
well-developed breastbone. The subsequent escape of the maggots 
from the infested fruit depends much upon climatic conditions, 
being greatly hastened by rain which results in the speedy crack- 
ing of the infested fruit. Specimen pears received from Mr Al- 
bright June 6th showed a black discolored area on one side and 
in a few instances this extended nearly around the pear, and in 
