ton is often highly prejudicial to the wheaten crop: 

 in the year 1771, the weather having been such as 

 above described, there appeared a very capital de~ 

 feet in the wheat after the blooming season was 

 past : on opening the chests of" the ear, were per- 

 ceived several small maggots, resembling in size 

 and colour, the male blossoms of the wheat, and 

 for which I at first view mistook them. These 

 maggots lay in a cluster within the chest, and ad- 

 hered closely to the nib of the seed : within some 

 of the chests the corn had attained nearly to half 

 its growth with these maggots preying upon its sur- 

 face. On a closer inspection into the nature of this 

 malady the succeeding year, I could clearly discern 

 the maggots adhering to the female blossoms, and 

 in whatever chests these maggots were found, the 

 male blossoms, which in a kindly state of the air 

 are suspended without the chests, and are con- 

 nected to the female blossoms by very slender fila- 

 ments, and by this economy, apparently convey 

 the fructifying quality to the female blossoms, were 

 in close contact with the latter, within the chests, 

 amongst which the maggots^ effect their lodgment, 

 and, as I observed before, bear, on a superficial 

 view, a strong resemblance to the male blossom, 

 but on a closer inspection, are found preying on the 

 female blossom, and' covered by the male : from 

 whence it seems reasonable to conclude, that the?e 

 maggots are the produce of a small fly, \\hich set- 

 tling on the male blossom whilst it is performing its 

 office, may there deposit its eggs, which being in- 

 stantly 



