246 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



The eggs are of an oblong, cylindrical form, with rounded ends. 

 They are pellucid and nearly colorless at first, but acquire a yel- 

 lowish tinge ere ihey are hatched, which is in rather over a week 

 after they are deposited. 



The larva has two distinct stages in its existence : an active or 

 growing state, which is passed through in about a month ; and a 

 dormant slate, which then supervenes, and contii;ues through the 

 winter. This latter has been generally but incorrectly regarded as 

 its pupa state by writers. 



When it comes from the egg, the larva is a minute oblong soft 

 worm, without feet or hairs, and transparent or of a whiiish tinge 

 at first, but soon changing to a bright amber or orange yellow. It 

 moves but slowly, and with difficulty, by a wriggling motion of its 

 body. It remains within the particular floret in which it is hatched, 

 until it attains its full growth. Mr. Kirby says it feeds upon the pollen 

 of the anthers ; and perhaps it does so at first, but certainly whilst 

 they are yet quite small, all the worms within the floret cluster 

 upon the sides of the germ, and generally towards its base (Plate 5, 

 fig. a). I apprehend they chiefly subsist and attain their growth 

 there, upon the fluids destined for the nourishment of the germ, 

 and which, for want of these fluids, becomes shrivelled to a greater 

 or less degree, and does not attain that plump form on which the] 

 value of this grain so much depends The amount of injury received 

 by the individual kernel of grain varies according to the number of 

 worms that have been nourished in the chafl" in contact with it. li 

 mature worms grow from all the eggs deposited by the fly at a 

 single puncture, the kernel is doubtless rendered worthless ; but a 

 single worm, as is occasionally found, would scarcely produce a 

 perceptible efl'ect. 



Having attained its growth, and in its dormant state, it does not 

 diff'er sensibly, as I have been able to discover, from its previous ap- 

 pearance ; and the only reason for marking this as a distinct stage, 

 is, that the insect now remains for a long period (probably two- 

 thirds of its entire term of existence) without increasing in size or 

 undergoing any other perceptible change. The texture of its body 

 seems to have acquired rather more firmness than it possessed while 

 it was growing, and its motions are more sluggish. It is less than 

 the tenth of an inch long : a measurement of several specimens 

 gives 0.07 as their average length. It is of a rich orange color, and 



