150 ST. HELENA 



that, if not badly damaged, part of it might be utilized. This point 

 may be left to growers to decide. 



The only means of dealing with the fly is in a suggestion of Miss 

 Ormerod's that, if the flies are sluggish and inactive when basking 

 on the leaves (which is certainly doubtful), their numbers might be 

 reduced " by shaking them down on sticky clothes or by syringing 

 with good soft soap, or whale-oil soap washes." 



No suggestions whatever for the introduction of animal enemies 

 (birds or insects) to the fly can be made on present knowledge. 



Lastly, there remains the question whether, as suggested by the 

 Acting-Governor, an entire crop of fruit may be destroyed. 



The idea is not one to be dismissed ; but such destruction, to 

 be carried out with prospects of success and as little loss of property 

 as possible, should be done only when sure knowledge has been 

 gained of the distribution of the insect upon various species of 

 fruit-bearing trees, of its length of life, number of broods, regu- 

 larity of those broods (i.e. whether the flies emerge together or 

 are to be found indifferently throughout the greater part of the 

 year), and the stage in which it hibernates. 



If these points were known it might be possible to destroy a 

 brood by the destruction of some fruit, not necessarily the peach, 

 at a particular season. It is not absolutely necesssary that they 

 shall be known ; but if they are not, there is more risk of failure 

 and of expense to growers. And, moreover, it must be recollected 

 that the insect occurs in Madeira, the Azores, Cape Verde Islands 

 and Africa, and may always be re-introduced. 



On the whole the destruction of infested fruit, as recommended 

 and carried out elsewhere, appears to give the most promise ; and 

 although the specimens sent were bred from a peach, it does not 

 follow that the maggots of at least some generations do not pupate 

 in the ground. I append a list of the more important recent ac- 

 counts or notes on the insect. 



(Signed) W. F. H. BLANDFORD. 



Henslow. Gardener's Chronicle, 1890, vol. vii. p. 655. 



Newman. The Field (circa 1866). I have not the exact re- 

 ference. 



Ormerod. Observations on Injurious . . . Insects of South 

 Africa. London, 1889, pp. 49-56. 



Penzig. Studi Botanici sugli Agruni e sulle Piante affinc. (Annali 

 di Agricoltura, pp. 469-477.) 



Riley. Insect Life, iii. pp. 5-8, and notes, pp. 80-1, 120. 



Westwood. Gardener's Chronicle, 1848, p. 604. 



There are no birds of prey, but insectivorous birds are 

 greatly needed. The only indigenous land-bird is a small 

 one of a plover family (Aegialitis Sanctax Helena] called 

 locally the wire-bird. It inhabits the interior, and is found 

 in considerable numbers. In appearance and habits it 



