168 IIALITS OF THE CEPHUS. 



Chronicle" for February 21, 1846. It is 

 stated in this periodical, that the maggots in- 

 habiting the straws live through the winter, 

 inclosed in transparent cases, of very close 

 texture, and enter the pupa condition in March. 

 It is also added by the correspondent of this 

 valuable paper, that "these flies resort to 

 flowers in corn-fields, grass in woods, and um- 

 belhferous and composite flowers on banks and 

 road-sides. The straws containing the larvae 

 may be detected after harvest by a little atten- 

 tion, the short pieces of stubble being cut 

 horizontally by them. They undoubtedly 

 cause serious mischief, as the ears of the in- 

 fested stems are either sterile, or contain only 

 a small number of shrivelled grains. Burning 

 the stubble seems to be the best means of ex- 

 tirpating the cephus ; but there is an ichneu- 

 mon named pachyinoerus calcitratory which 

 keeps it in check by depositing eggs in the 

 maggots, which hatch and live upon them." 



There are many other httle insects found 

 on the stems and ears of the cerealia^ or corn 

 plants, the habits of which have not yet been 

 sufficiently inquired into, nor the actual ser- 

 vices performed by others that accompany 

 them. We have an example of this in the 



