INJURIOUS INSECTS. 243 



ill. Such has appeared to be its history in this vicinity for several 

 j^ears past. Seasons favorable for its multiplication will doubtless 

 occur, when its injuries will be much augmented ; as well as sea- 

 sons of a reverse character, when its presence will scarcely be 

 mown. It is, therefore, very important that the entire history and 

 labits of this insect should be accurately traced out. For only with 

 A full knowledge of these, can we be able to resort intelligently to 

 such measures as will keep its numbers constantly limited, or sweep 

 it from those fields that will probably at times be excessively in- 

 fested by it. 



Its habits. 



Relying upon the correctness of the published statements, that it 

 Was not till "towards the last of June" that the fly infests the wheat- 

 fields, and that " the principal depositc of eggs is made in the first 

 half of July," I had not commenced searching for it, when on the 

 16th of June I was informed by a neighbor, that it had been pre- 

 sent for some days in large numbers, in a field of thrifty winter 

 wheat of his. Upon repairing to this field, a small black fly, about 

 one third of the size and much resembling the common house-fly, 

 was pointed out as the dreaded enemy ; and so universally has this 

 ioubtless harmless species been for years regarded as the true wheat 

 fly by the farmers throughout this whole section of the " infected 

 district," merely from the circumstance of its occurring abundantly 

 in wheatfields simultaneously with the wheat-worm, that my com- 

 panion was much surprised, and disposed to be incredulous of my 

 assertion that that was not the wheat-fly. On opening the flowers 

 of the wheat, however, the eggs of the real marauder were found in 

 abundance ; and a sweeping, with the small gauze fly-net in com- 

 mon use by entomologists, between the stalks of grain towards 

 their roots, immediately caught within it a number of the winged 

 Bsects. My comrade was little less surprised on my pointing the 

 real fly out to him, being scarcely able to conceive that such a tiny 

 fragile atom, seemingly a mere moat floating before his eye, could 

 be that potent enemy that had spread such desolation over our land. 

 Several of the specimens thus caught, were of the spotted-winged 

 species. These I conjectured, until I afterwards came to examine 

 them attentively with the microscope, were only a variety of the 



VOL. II. NO. II. I 



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