112 OBSEEVATIONS OF MR. KIRBT. 



yellow, pubescent, and beautifully iridescent 

 when seen in repose. The abdomen is short, 

 tapering to a point, and is furnished with an 

 ovipositor, or instrument for laying its eggs, 

 nearly three times as long as the body, the ovi- 

 duct being extremely slender. Mr. Curtis 

 states that he has never seen the male fly, but 

 has no doubt that he should find in it a 

 different form of antennae. There is abundant 

 matter, in the whole of the papers of Mr. Cur- 

 tis on the insects affecting the corn crops, to 

 induce a careful perusal. They bring before us, 

 in a most interesting form, many wonderful 

 facts relating to the economy of these minute 

 portions of the creation. 



The venerable naturalist, Mr. Kirby, has 

 long been more intimately acquainted than 

 most others with the habits of the wheat 

 midge. In the summer of 1-798, he had a good 

 opportunity of making observations upon it, 

 and in the early part of the year following he 

 communicated them to the Linnean Society in 

 his usual felicitous manner. He saw swarms 

 of them about eight o'clock in the evening, at 

 which time they were busy laying their eggs ; 

 but towards nine they had nearly all left the 

 scene of their operations. So numerous were 



