62 CORN AND GRASS. 



on the Continent of Europe the summer brood was to be found feeding 

 in Barley ears, and amongst grain in the Oat heads. 



It has not been, however, until this year that I was able to trace 

 the matter clearly home to development of specimens of the Frit Fly 

 in the summer or autumn Oat heads from information placed in my 

 hands, with samples accompanying, by the Editor of the ' London 

 Corn Circular ' (see p. 1 of No. for Aug. 29th, 1892). During August, 

 the Mid- Surrey correspondent of the above-named paper had com- 

 plained much of blight and rust in the Wheats, and also of damage to 

 the Oat crop in his district, and a bundle of samples of injured Corn 

 was sent to me for examination, and report to the ' Corn Circular.' 



Of these specimens, forwarded to me on the part of Mr. Main, of 

 Madox Farm, Bookham, I found the "Wheat to be most seriously 

 attacked by what is commonly known as rust, or mildew, and as I did 

 not find insect presence, or sign of insect presence, having been in the 

 ears of Wheat, it appeared this part of the crop mischief was attri- 

 butable to the fungoid attack, on which, however, it was not my place 

 to speak. 



With regard to the Oat plants, I did not find any fungus present 

 on the stems, but many of the Oat grains were small or distorted, and 

 in the packet I found a few small, but excessively active, two-winged 

 black flies. These I gave such information about as could be gathered 

 (without delay) from the specimens sent, also mentioning that the 

 name of " Frit " Fly (mentioned in former days by Linnteus) was given 

 to the infestation, from the number of worthless grains, known as 

 " frits," which are caused by the gnawing and feeding of the maggots. 

 This was on the 20th of August. 



I was, however, somewhat in difficulties as to absolutely certain 

 knowledge of the feeding ground of this infestation (^. e., whether it 

 had been certainly on the Oats), all the Corn having come in one 

 bundle ; therefore as the matter was of much interest, being, I believe, 

 a new observation in this country, I separated the Oat heads from the 

 rest of the Corn, secured them carefully, and after watching a few days, 

 forwarded, on the 24th of August, the following report to the Editor of 

 the ' Corn Circular ' : — 



" Since writing to you on the 20th inst. regarding specimens of 

 infested Oats placed by you in my hands, I have been continuing my 

 observations carefully, and now give you the results somewhat in 

 detail, as I think the presence of ' Frit Fly ' in Oat heads, though 

 probably not a serious matter in this country, still is of some practical 

 importance. To make sure of the flies being out of the Oat heads, and 

 from nowhere else, I placed a good number of the heads in a large 

 glass bottle (carefully secured), with the result that on the following 

 day and since the flies have continued to appear. These agree in all 



