FRUIT FLIES 33 



the 25th, z>., thirteen days later. These were placed in 

 a tin box containing some earth and covered over with a 

 mosquito curtain ; sliced tomatoes and peaches was put 

 in with them, and the box was left out in the open air. 

 Flies fed on the tomatoes, but punctured peaches and 

 deposited eggs in them. The flies died on the 21st 

 March, twenty-five days old. Other flies which were 

 hatched out on the same day, but got no food, died on 

 the 1st March, four days old. I reared from the peaches 

 a number of larvae which went into the chrysalis state 

 on the 15th March, and I expect them out on the 30th 

 or 31st March. 



On the 15th March I saw a fly on a peach in Constable 

 Collins' garden. The fly must have just laid. I 

 secured the peach and kept it under observation. At 

 first there was no puncture visible, but afterwards one 

 became pronounced. I reared five larvae from this 

 peach ; these were fully grown on the 25th March and 

 went into chrysalis on that date. 



In connection with egg-laying I find that from four 

 to seven eggs are laid in each puncture or chamber, and 

 not alone does the fly puncture the fruit, but it also 

 constructs an oval-shaped chamber which is apparently 

 lined with a tough brownish substance. Mr. Carmody 

 and I, at Numurkah, found four tiny elongated eggs of 

 a dirty white colour, and these, when seen under the 

 lens, shone similarly to the body of a young larva. The 

 eggs lay parallel to each other, and occupied about half 

 the capacity of the chamber. The young larvae hatched 

 out on the following day, but we did not succeed in 

 rearing them. I have found four larvae each in a 

 number of peaches which had apparently only one 

 puncture each. I have also found twelve larvae in 

 peaches where only three punctures each were visible. 

 Then again I have found five, six, and seven larvae in 

 peaches, each of which have apparently only one punc- 

 ture, but I have never found less than four larvae in 

 any peach. Therefore it is only reasonable to conclude 



