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OBSERVATIONS 



ON THE 



HESSIAN FLY. 



By JONATHAN N. HAVENS, Esq.oiRE. 



'HP'HE infe6l, now univerfally known by the name of the 

 Heffian Fly, was firft perceived on Sheher-Ifland, 

 and the adjacent parts of Long-Ifland as far eailward as that 

 ifland, a httle before the harveft of the year eighty fix, and 

 appeared to have come from the weft end of Long-Ifland, in a 

 gradual progrefs of between twenty and thirty miles in a year. 

 Before the harveft in this feafon, the fpecies appeared to be 

 few in number, but in the fall next following it was found to 

 have greatly encreafed, and appeared in great numbers on the 

 green wheat, and was obferved to do moft injury to that which 

 had been moft early fown. At this time the nature of the infe61: 

 and its various transformations were very little underftood by 

 people in that part of the country. It was currently reported 

 in the winter following, that the fly was to be found in great 

 numbers in the wheat in fheaf ; from whence it was concluded 

 that it muft neceflarily have fome immediate dependence upon 

 the wheat in grain, either for food, or in fome other manner 

 for the prefervation of its fpecies. This opinion was fuppofed 



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