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_ The Hessian Fly, and its Parasites. . 158 
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_ Arr. XV.—A Brief, Preliminary Account of the Hessian Fly — 
and its Parasites ; by Epwarv C. Herricx, Mem. Yale Nat. 
Hist. Soc. . gies 
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[Communicated to the Yale Nat. Hist. Society, April 28, 1841. —r 
For several years past I have spent some time in the study of 
the habits of the Hessian fly, and of the varic insects by which 
it is attacked. During a part of the period I enjoyed the impor- 
tant codperation of my valued friend, Mr. James D. Dana, now ~ 
absent from the country, as one of the scientific corps of the 
United States South Sea Exploring Expedition. It was, and still 
continues to be, my intention, to offer an extended paper on this 
‘ subject. The investigation is not yet in every particular so com- 
plete as could be wished, but several circumstances seem to ren- 
der it advisable to give at this time, a brief abstract of some por- 
tion of the results. The civil history of the insect, as well as 
the scientific descriptions, with many other details, are reserved 
for the final paper. oS m 
The Hessian fly, which has so long been conspicuous for its 
depredations on the wheat crops of this country, is.a two-winged 
insect of the genus Lasioptera or Cecidomyia, (Meig. and Latr.) 
and was first scientifically described by the late Mr. Thomas Say, 
(Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil. 1817, i, 45,) who gave it the spe- 
cific name of Destructor. The popular name was first used’by 
Col. George Morgan, of Prospect, N. J., on the supposition that 
the insect was introduced into this country among the straw 
brought by the Hessian troops who came here in the service of 
Great Britain, during the war of the Revolution. This supposi- 
tion has been rejected by most entomologists, chiefly perhaps, 
because an extensive and apparently thorough inquiry made in 
Various parts of Europe a few years after, resulted in the uncon- 
tradicted conclusion that the insect was wholly unknown in that 
quarter of the world. I am not prepared to assert that this insect 
Was introduced in the manner above supposed, but it may be 
shown that it is highly probable that it was unknown here before 
that time; that it now exists in Europe, and has probably been 
there for centuries. 
In the Eléments d’ Agriculture, par Duhamel du Monceau, 
Paris, 1771, 2 tomes, 12mo., is a statement from M. de Chateau- 
Vol. xu1, No. 1.—April-June, 1841. 
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