246 LETTERS TO DR. ENZIO REUTER [CHAP. xxi. 



April 8, 1895. 



I beg that you will never for one minute think of taking 

 up your valuable time in writing to me at length about my 

 reports. If you can at any time (as you have so nicely done 

 in your letter received to-day) tell me that you think them 

 serviceable, this is a most pleasant encouragement, for 

 which I am grateful, but I know well what a tax it would 

 be to write letters, so to say, merely for compliment. Pray 

 believe me, I should indeed be sorry thus to trouble you. I 

 value your writings that you are good enough to send me 

 very much, and I got a serviceable Swedish grammar and 

 studied it when I could get time, so I can make out a little 

 now ; at least so much that I can see where what I wish 

 particularly to understand is, and get it properly translated. 

 Accompanying I have much pleasure in sending two copies 

 of my little brochure on Paris-green. I thought perhaps 

 M., your brother professor, Odo M. Reuter, whose pamphlet 

 on C. graminis I have studied with much benefit, might care 

 to have one. 



August 21, 1895. 



Many thanks for kindly giving me a copy of your work 

 on the " Zwei neue Cecidomyinen," which I am very glad 

 to possess. Your minute description will be a most valu- 

 able assistance in identification. This year I have only had 

 one report of presence of C. destructor, but there has been a 

 great deal of insect presence, and sometimes of kinds not 

 often observed here. 



But the chief point of general interest, I think, has been 

 what to do about the Hippobosca equina (Forest fly, fig. 18), 

 relative to some of our military manoeuvres in the New 

 Forest, which is its especial English locality. I do not 

 know whether you have the infestation so far north as your 

 country ? It is very troublesome at times here. 



December 18, 1899. 



I should be very glad to help you if I could by reference 

 to publications on " Silver-top " or " White-eared " wheat, 

 but I am not aware of anything having been written 

 on it in this country excepting my own short and 

 meagre notes in my twelfth Annual Report, for 1888 

 Specimens are sent me occasionally, but as by the time 

 that the top of the wheat (or grass) has faded so as to draw 

 attention to the injury, the insect, if insect was there, has 

 gone I have never been able to identify the cause of the 

 mischief with any approach to certainty. I conjecture the 

 cause to be the presence of some species of thrips. The 



