Dr. Lucius Nicholls 229 



The four pods were opened in six days, the 

 two to which the flies had access had under- 

 gone fermentation, the other two were much 

 the same as freshly picked pods. 



(2) The second series of experiments con- 

 sisted in using fine netting through which the 

 flies could not crawl. Small new wooden 

 boxes were filled with beans and the netting 

 placed over them. In some of these a few 

 meshes of the netting were so enlarged that 

 these flies could just crawl through, whilst 

 others were thoroughly protected from the 

 flies, but to all intents and purposes not more 

 protected from the air than the former. 



The results were a little variable, as regards 

 actual time and degree of sweating, but in all 

 experiments better and quicker fermentation 

 took place in those which were not protected 

 from the fly. 



Yeasts and other organisms can always be 

 isolated by cultural methods from this little fly. 



From these experiments and observations I 

 conclude that this little fly is of value in that 

 it is always present, that it conveys the causal 

 organisms of fermentation to cacao, and its 

 larvae in crawling through and through the 

 fermenting mass distribute the organisms 

 evenly. 



These flies are seen in association with all 

 decaying vegetables and fruits, such as plums, 

 bananas, and bread fruits, and from these, 

 yeasts and other organisms can be cultured. 



