The Hessian Fly, and its Parasites. 153 



Art. XV. — A Brief, Preliminary Account of the Hessian Fly 

 and its Parasites ; by Edward C, Herrick, Mem. Yale Nat. 

 Hist. Soc. 



[Communicated to the Yale Nat. Hist. Society, April 28, 1841.] 



For several years past I have spent some time in the study of 

 the habits of the Hessian fly, and of the various insects by which 

 it is attacked. During a part of the period I enjoyed the impor- 

 tant cooperation of my valued friend, Mr. James D. Dana, now 

 absent from the country, as one of the scientific corps of the 

 United States South Sea Exploring Expedition. It was, and still 

 continues to be, my intention, to off"er an extended paper on this 

 subject. The investigation is not yet in every particular so com- 

 plete as could be wished, but several circumstances seem to ren- 

 der it advisable to give at this time, a brief abstract of some por- 

 tion of the results. The civil history of the insect, as well as 

 the scientific descriptions, with many other details, are reserved 

 for the final paper. 



The Hessian fly, which has so long been conspicuous for its 

 depredations on the wheat crops of this country, is a two-winged 

 insect of the genus Lasioptera or Cecidom,yia, [Mcig. and Latr.) 

 and was first scientifically described by the late Mr. Thomas Say, 

 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil. 1817, i, 45,) who gave it the spe- 

 cific name of Destructor. The popular name was first used by 

 Col. George Morgan, of Prospect, N. J., on the supposition that 

 the insect was introduced into this country among the straw 

 brought by the Hessian troops who came here in the service of 

 Great Britain, during the war of the Revolution. This supposi- 

 tion has been rejected by most entomologists, chiefly perhaps, 

 because an extensive and apparently thorough inquiry made in 

 various parts of Europe a few years after, resulted in the uncon- 

 tradicted conclusion that the insect was wholly unknown in that 

 quarter of the world. I am not prepared to assert that this insect 

 was introduced in the manner above supposed, but it may be 

 shown that it is highly probable that it was unknown here before 

 that time ; that it now exists in Europe, and has probably been 

 there for centuries. 



In the Elements d^ Agriculture, par Duhamel du Mojiceait, 

 Paris, 1771, 2 tomes, 12mo., is a statement from M. de Chateau- 



Vol. xLi, No. 1.— April-June, 1841. 20 



