THE HESSIAN FLY IN BEITAIN 



IN 1886. 



As far as at present appears there has been no 

 recorded presence of the Hessian Fly in Britain until 

 the latter end of July of the present year. 



Those who desire to trace its history from its first 

 outburst as a destructive scourge in North America 

 during the years 1786 to 1789, with full reports of its 

 history, habits, gradual spread, destructive powers, and 

 ravages up to complete attacks of crops onwards, the 

 date of its first proved appearance in Europe, and the 

 testimony borne (up to July of the present year) of the 

 absence of this pest from our own country, will find 

 information on these subjects in the works whose titles 

 are quoted in the appended table. 



Kelatively to the watch instituted on its very first 

 appearance in America lest this pest should be trans- 

 mitted to our own land, we find that in 1788 the wheat 

 crop was so much injured in various North American 

 localities, from which corn was then exported in large 

 quantities to Great Britain, that the exportation of grain 

 from America was prohibited until the English Govern- 

 ment was assured that the fly with eggs could not be 

 introduced in the grain* ; and next, that consequently on 

 the annually recurring tidings of the more and more 

 widely extending devastations of the Hessian Fly in 

 America, the investigations on this side the Atlantic 

 were set on foot by Sir Joseph Banks, the result of 

 which was, as reported by him, " that no such insect 



* Bulletin No. 4 of U. S. Entomological Commission. 



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