44 CORN AND GRASS. 



brown in colour, were sent me on the part of Mr. George Eve, of Fox 

 Hall, Corbet's Tay, near Romford, Essex, on July 25tli, with the 

 statement: — "Mr. George Eve has wished me to send you some ears 

 of Wheat grown on a farm he holds in the parish of Rainham, Essex, 

 about a mile and a half from above address. You will see they are 

 covered with what seem to us Aphides ; the whole field, and another 

 near it, are in the same condition. Will you kindly say if the Wheat 

 will be injured by them, and also if such a blight is usual, as it is a 

 quite unknown condition to the farmers in this neighbourhood." — (F. 

 A. Eve). 



On the 26th of July, the following note regarding appearance of 

 Corn Aphides, together with specimens of Wheat Aphis, was sent me 

 from Henley-on-Thames, by Mr. Charles Simmons, of the firm of 

 Messrs. Simmons, Land Agents, &c., which well describes the method 

 of attack and its effects : — " I have observed within the last few days 

 that some of the late crops of Wheat on my own, and other farms in 

 the locality, are infested with a kind of green and brown lice. The 

 little vermin stick in the ear between the grains of Corn, and appear 

 to be sucking all the juices which should go to nourish the grain, as 

 the ear soon begins to look withered." — (C. S.) 



The following observation regarding Aphides from Oats, as well as 

 Wheat, was sent me, on the 29th of July, from Sunnyfield, near 

 Braintree, Essex, by Mr. D. Eadford Sharpe. The specimens of 

 Aphides accompanying were all more or less of different shades of 

 brown or red-brown, thus agreeing (in absence of green colouring) with 

 the kind known by the name of A2}his arena, Fab. Mr. Eadford Sharpe 

 observed : — 



" I send you herewith some specimens of what I believe to be the 

 ' Corn Aphis.' They are taken from Oats, as well as from Wheat. 

 The pest is pretty general in this neighbourhood, and it is feared will 

 do considerable damage to the crop. I have noticed that in the Oats 

 the weakest plants are most attacked, and I am told that the autumn- 

 sown Wheats do not show the pest so frequently as the spring-sown 

 samples, thus confirming your remark." — (D. E. S.) 



Mr. E. Sharpe's observation refers to notes in my ' Manual,' p. 64, 

 regarding Wheats that have been well advanced escaping effects of 

 Aphis attack better than those of which the ears were still in a con- 

 dition to allow of being pierced by the sucker of the insects. 



In a note sent me in 1879 regarding extremely bad attack of Aphis 

 on 110 acres of Wheat in Cheshire, which Avas March sown, and later 

 in growth than in average seasons, it was mentioned that in September 

 every (jreen head in the field was blasted by these Plant Lice and 

 other observations are given (' Manual,' pp. 63 and 64) regarding early 

 Wheats escaping best, consequently on the self-protection of the drier 

 tissues. 



