FKIT FLY. 



65 



mnggot, or lying as a little brown chrysalis, often in the outside leaves, 

 and during July the Frit Fly comes out from the chrysalids. So far 

 as I find from the reports sent me in 1888, the year of really serious 

 Frit infestation, the dates run thus, — attack observed towards the 

 latter part of June (though maggots were still to be found in July) ; 

 chrysalids to be found at the end of June and in July, and the flies 

 first recorded as beginning to appear about July 9th.* 



Now, bearing in mind that dates of infestation vary much according 

 to circumstances, of climate, &c., if we turn to the minute details of 

 Dr. Eitzema Bos, we find this passage : — " In the spring attacked Oat 

 or other Corn plants, Ave find the maggots in May, in the last days of 

 this month, or in the beginning of June the pupae ; in the middle of 

 June we find the complete insect." — J. R. B. Thus our first infes- 

 tation ranging from June to the middle of July, runs about a month 

 later than the Continental attack, dating from May to the middle of 

 June, a matter which may tell materially on prevention of a second 

 brood where the Corn has passed the early blossoming stage, or state 

 of ear prccedhvi the development of the blossom, before the chief amount of 

 the summer brood of Frit Flies have come out to lay on it in the soft 

 condition in which alone it is suitable for their use. 



Quoting again from Dr. Eitzema Bos : — " These flies skipping 

 about in June lay their eggs afresh, either on the leaves of grasses, or 

 on the still very young blossoming, or as yet not blossoming ears of 

 various kinds of Corn, never in ears which are quite out of blossom." 

 . . . "The maggots develop quickly (in three weeks), and after 

 short duration of the chrysalis state the flies appear in August, 

 September, or October, and lay their eggs in the winter Corn or 

 Grasses. The damage caused by the maggots to the winter Corn is 

 scarcely distinguishable from that which their progeny gives rise to in 

 the summer Corn." — J. E. B. 



Here we have the records of three generations, as a regular thing, 

 and, with us, by careful observation, we have secured record that we 

 can have this amount, namely, spring, summer, and autumn brood, 

 here ; but, so far as we see, the spring attack is rarely serious, and the 

 others quite exceptional. 



Last season has given us an observation of Frit attack being found 

 in the growing Oat heads in August ; and that we are not wholly with- 

 out the autumn or winter attack is shown by the observation with 

 specimens accompanying, sent me in Nov., 1889 (and noted in my 

 'Annual Eeport ' for that year). These plants were sent me from 

 Wylie, near Bath ; they were about two to three inches high, with the 



♦ See paper on "Frit Fly," pp. 3i — 43, of my 'Twelfth Eeport on Injurious 

 Insects.' — Ed. 



