42 



THE CARROT-FLY. 



J. C. Chapais, St. Denis. 



Hsec nugffi seria ducent in mala — Ilor. A. P. 451, 



{These trifles ivill lead to serious misoMef.) 



SUMMARY— A WoM ' ori^'ehalf of Entomology.— The Carrot-Fly.— 

 Classification. — Description. — Depredations. — Remedies. 



A word on behalf of Entomology. — Amongst all the branches of 

 natural history, Entomology is certainly the most pleasant and the most 

 attractive to study for anyone who has a sense of observation. Even from 

 a scientific point of view it offers a very great interest, when we put our- 

 selves in the presence of those minute beings which, though they seem very 

 small and powerless, are gifted with an invincible strength, due to their 

 union in innumerable numbers which scramble over the world, overthrow- 

 ing structures, sinking vessels, preying upon plant life, falling even upon 

 man and making away with him sometimes before he is aware of their 

 presence. 



But, if we consider Entomology as a science which gives man an 

 acquaintance with those obscure enemies, to detect the secret of their life, 

 of their metamorphoses, of their methods of ill-doing, and enables him 

 thereby to fight efficaciously against them, then, this branch of natural 

 history, instead of being only a speculative science, becomes one of the 

 greatest utility, of which everybody ought to know at least the rudiments. 

 I have never made any study of it otherwise than from this latter point of 

 view. I value more highly the knowledge I have acquired by its study than 

 by any other means. It is owing to that knowledge acquired under the 

 spur of necessity that I am now able to speak for a short time about a small 

 insect to which we may well and justly apply the sentence from Horace 

 which I have selected as an epithet to put at the head of this short article. 



The Carrot-Fly. — This small insect though well known for a good 

 while and studied in every detail by many distinguished entomologists 

 such as Fletcher, Ormerod and others, is very little known by many of 

 those who suffer the most from its depredations. It is for that reason that I 

 come here to-day to talk about it with the members of the Quebec Society 

 for the Protection of Plants, to enable this society to popularize the know- 

 ledge of this small destructive insect by means of the distribution of its 

 next report. 



