1846.] Insects Injurious to Vegetation. 247 



sequent paragraph, and a reference therein to the memoirs of the 

 Stockholm Academy, a doubt is excited, whether the society did 

 not regard the Hessian fiy as identical with the Oscinis frit (Linn.) 

 Lat,, which infests the ears of barley in Sweden, and consequently 

 whether the French species was not the latter. But, as tlie so- 

 ciety regarded their insect to be the Hessian fly, it is somewhat 

 singular that its history was not investigated and distinctly re- 

 corded, before the announcement was so confidently put forth, that 

 this species could not be found in Europe. 



But, more recently, clearer evidence upon this point is furnished 

 us. Mr. Herrick, in his valuable article in Silliman''s Journal, 

 (vol. xli., p. 154,) informs us, that Mr. J. D. Dana, who had been 

 much associated with him in making a thorough investigation of 

 the habits of the Hessian fly and its parasites, being on a voyage 

 in the Mediterranean, " on the 13th of March, 1834, and subse- 

 quently, collected several larva and pupse, from wheat plants 

 growing in a field, on the Island of Minorca. From these pupae, 

 were evolved on the 16th of March, 1834, two individuals of an 

 insect, which his recollections (aided by a drawing of the Hessian 

 fly with which he was provided,) enabled him to pronounce to 

 be the Cecidomyia destructor. ■ More of the perfect insects were 

 evolved in the course of the month, one of which deposited eggs 

 like those of the Hessian fly. In letters, dated Mahon, April 8 

 and 21, Mr. D. sent me five of the insects, and several of the pu- 

 pse. They arrived in safety, and after a careful examination, I 

 saw no good reason to doubt the identity of this insect with the 

 Hessian fly. The Mahonese asserted that the insect had been 

 there from time imrnemorial, and often did great damage both 

 there and in Spain." And further, " on the 28th of April, 1834, 

 Mr. D. collected from a wheat field just without the walls of Tou- 

 lon, in France, several pupae and one larvffi like those before ob- 

 tained. On the 4th of June, 1834, he obtained similar pupae 

 from a wheat field near Naples." We doubt whether there was 

 living, at that day, two persons better qualified to determine the 

 identity of these insects with the Hessian fly, than Messrs. Her- 



