108 



ground, except tliat based on the early minutes of the Philosophical 

 Society, which, as communicated to him (Hageu) by one of the secre- 

 taries, Mr. H. Phillips, jr., and as published, make mention of the Hes- 

 sian Fly in 1768, or before any Hessian troops landed. Professor Riley 

 announced that the statement of the secretary, as also the published 

 minutes, turn out to be absolutely erroneous on these points, as, upon 

 consulting the original records, he found no mention of Hessian Fly 

 prior to 1791. In all previous cases the Fly or the Fly in ivheat, or the 

 Flyweavil are the terms used, and it is susceptible of positive proof that 

 these terms referred to totally distinct insects, belonging to different 

 orders, and still called weevils, viz: Sitophilus granarius, S. oryzcc, and 

 Gelechia cerealella. Thus popular belief and tradition are vindicated, 

 but it is a most interesting illustration of grave and misleading error, 

 resulting from inaccuracy in what appear to be trifles, as the change 

 in the records was doubtless made inadvertently. 

 The following extract is from the letters to Dr. Hagen by Mr. Phillips: 



At the request of Professor Lesley, I have examined our okl minutes in reference 

 to the Hessian Fly, and append on next page the results of my search. I know jmsi- 

 Hrely that before the Eevolution our newspapers were full of communications in ref- 

 euce to the Hessian Fly eo nomine. I can not call to mind any one paper, but I remem- 

 ber xierfectly frequently seeing these articles when reading for other purposes. I 

 can not find that the committee ever reported. 



The following are the extracts from the minutes as furnished by Mr. 

 Phillips: 



ilay 18, 17C8. — Com. on Husbandry, to consider whether any method can be fallen 

 upon for preventing the damage done to wheat by the Hessian Fly. [N. B. — Mr. Du 

 Hamel has written on the subject.] 



June 21, 1768. — Papers on tlie Hessian Fly read by Dr. Bond, ordered to be pnblished. 

 [See No. 4, original papers.] 



October 18, 1768.— Col. Laudon Carter, Sabine Hill, Virginia, observations on the Fly 

 Weevil destructive to wheat; ordered to be published. 



For purpose of comparison the following verbatim copy of the rec- 

 ords is here reproduced: 



May 18, 1768. — It was recommended to the Committee of Husbandry, etc., to meet 

 ou Tuesday, 31st of this mouth, at the college to consider whether any method can 

 be fallen on for preventing the damage done to wheat by what is called the fly. [N. 

 B. — Monsieur du Hamel has written on this subject.] 



June21, 1768. — The Committee for Husbandry report that they had considered ye 

 affair of destroying the Fly in wheat, and that Dr. Bond had laid before them a paper 

 containing many useful observations ou that subject, which Dr. Bond was requested 

 to read before ye Society. The Society having heard and approved of ye paper, re- 

 quest him to prepare it for ye press, that it may be communicated to ye public with- 

 out loss of time. 



November 15, 1768. — Colonel Lee transmitted to the Society the ingenious and accu- 

 rate observation of Col. Laudon Carter, of Sabine Hall, in Virginia, concerning the 

 Fly-iveavil that destroys the wheat. The Society acknowledge themselves under great 

 obligations to Colonel Carter for communication of the conclusions he has formed (ou 

 long experience) concerning that insect's propagation and progress, and the methods 

 to be used to preveut the destruction of the wheat by it, and order it to be printed 

 for the public benefit. 



