THE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT-FLY. 5 



was noted as injurious to peaches in 1882, but little, if at all, attack- 

 ing citrus fruits. 



As stated by Girard, the Mediterranean fruit-fly became estab- 

 lished in the environs of Paris, infesting apricots at Courbevoie. 

 In a further note on the subject (Compt. Eend., Aug. 20, 1906) M. 

 Girard reports that the insect has insidiously increased its raA'ages, 

 and at that time peaches were seriously affected in many localities 

 around Paris. According to Prof. Paul Marchal, however, the pest 

 was not troublesome the year following (11)07), for which reason it 

 is thought the insect did not become properly established. 



An account of this species, under the name of the Bermuda peach 

 maggot, is given by Riley and Howard in Insect Life (vol. 3, p. 5), 

 which appeared in 1890. The insect was reared at the insectary in 

 Washington from peaches received from Claud W. McCallan, of St. 

 Georges. Bermuda. In further correspondence with Mr, McCallan 

 it was learned that peaches had been more or less infested for about 

 25 years and their culture had practically to be abandoned. It is 

 stated that oranges are little attacked on the island, but that the mag- 

 gots infest the Surinam cherry {Eugenia michelii), half of the crop 

 being ruined annually. The loquat {Eriohot7ya jap07iica) and the 

 Malta plum are also subject to infestation, as well as the bitter Seville 

 orange. Mr. McCallan has expressed the opinion that the insect 

 made its appearance in the island in a cargo of fruit from the 

 Mediterranean region, which, while intended for the American mar- 

 ket, was landed at the island through stress of bad weather. 



Miss Ormerod, in her publication, " Injurious Farm and Fniit 

 Insects of South Africa," which appeared in 1889, gives an account 

 of the injuries done by the fniit-fly in Cape Colony. This is ap- 

 parently the first reference to the occurrence of the pest in that 

 region, although, as noted by Mally, it was introduced many years 

 before this date. 



Apparently Mr. Claude Fuller was first to record the occurrence 

 in Australia of Ceratitis capitata^ the record appearing in the Journal 

 of the Bureau of Agriculture of West Australia for February, 1897. 

 In the March number of the same journal Mr. Fuller gives informa- 

 tion concerning the life history of the insect, together with a good 

 plate. At about the same time Mr. H. Trv'on received specimens 

 from West Australia, and the year following it was reared by Mr. 

 C. French from peaches imported into Victoria from Sydney. The 

 fly was discovered a few days later by JNIr. W. W. Froggatt in rearing 

 jars containing fruit supposed to have been infested with the Queens- 

 land fruit-fly. It is thought to have made its way into Australia in 

 oranges from Italy, a considerable quantity of which at that time 

 was being imported. 



