Fifty larvae were obtained from the six clover heads. Of these, ten 

 were deposited in alcohol for more careful study than could be given them 

 at the time ; the remainder were placed in a small pot containing damp 

 sand, in which they all buried themselves within an hour thereafter 

 some entering it as quickly as the operation could be performed, and 

 others after a longer or shorter preliminary travel. 



Their appearance at this time was as follows : The head, small and 

 acute ; the body, elliptical, moderately constricted at the joints, flattened 

 on the sides, rather rounded behind, without feet, of a pinkish color ap- 

 proaching orange; length eight-hundredths of an inch. 



A later microscopic examination of the larvae which had been preserved 

 in alcohol, disclosed characters which led me to refer them, with very 

 little doubt, to the Cecidomyidae, and probably to Cecidomyia the genus 

 to which belong, among many others, two species, the names of which 

 are only too familiar to our agriculturists the Hessian-fly and the wheat- 

 midge (Cecidomyia destructor and Diplosis tritici of entomological litera- 

 ture). Dr. Hagen, of Cambridge, to whom I submitted my alcoholic 

 specimens, also recognized them as belonging to Cecidomyia. He has, 

 in addition, kindly examined the European authorities in economical 

 entomology contained in the extensive library at Cambridge, and has 

 informed me that he finds no record therein of any Cecidomyia or allied 

 form preying upon the seeds of clover. As by far the larger number of 

 this family are monophagous i. e., living on a single species of plant or 

 closely allied species, there is every probability that from the secrecy 

 with which this minute insect has been prosecuting its work, and possi- 

 bly from its not yet having multiplied to a formidable extent, it has re- 

 mained, until within the past two years, undetected, and that the present 

 is its first introduction to public notice. 



Baron Osten-Sacken, in his excellent paper On the North American Ceci- 

 domyidoe, pp. 173-205 of the Monograph of the Diptera of North America, 

 by H. Lowe, Part 1, groups the N. A. species in three categories, viz. : 

 a, those of which the perfect insect is described but its habits unknown ; 

 6, gall or larva known but perfect insect unknown ; c, perfect insect de- 

 scribed and its habits known. Under b, the category in which our new 

 species falls, thirty-two species are arranged, whence it may be seen that 

 there is ample authority for not awaiting the knowledge of the perfect 

 insect before the bestowment of the scientific name. 



The alcoholic specimens of the larvae, as seen under a low magnifying 

 power, presented the following features : Head (outline with 

 following segment represented at a) subacute, subtriangular, 

 slightly rounded laterally on its posterior half, giving that 

 portion a subquadrangular form ; a short cylindrical, horny 

 process at its tip, and two longer antenrial processes, cylindri- 

 cal, tapering apically. Body delicately chagreened ; later- 

 ally at abotit the middle of each segment, a short, fleshy pa- 

 pill iforrn process, with two short bristles of unequal length, 

 near the posterior of the segment ; posterior segment bilobed, 

 each lobe armed with two short fleshy processes of which the 

 outer is the longer ; " breast bone " of a pale, yellowish color, the portion 

 exposed appearing as represented at b its projecting end divided into 

 two rather bltmt, laterally rounded points. A dorsal row of processes 

 similar to the lateral ones is suspected, but was not definitely made out. 



In placing 1 the lame under a one-fifth objective, for their more critical 

 examination, they were unfortunately so badly crushed as to be un- 

 serviceable for further description. 



