Miscellaneous. 153 



placed on the surface of moist soil in a flower-pot, in which a carna- 

 tion was growing. In the course of two days they had, with the 

 exception of a few which were crushed or otherwise injured, descended 

 into the ground, leaving their delicate membranous cases on the sur- 

 face. Their power of burrowing having been thus ascertained, they 

 were allowed to remain undisturbed during winter, the spot where 

 they had disappeared being covered with a glass shade. During 

 winter the flower-pot was watered as the growth of the carnation re- 

 quired. 



A similar experiment having been tried in another pot, the insects 

 were sought for in the ground after their disappearance. Very few 

 were found, and these had still the larva form. They were however 

 most flexible, and showed some degree of activity. On being placed 

 on the surface they endeavoured to burrow, by means of a worm-like 

 motion, and in doing so they seemed to have the power of fixing the 

 anterior part of the body pretty firmly to the soil. They were found 

 to have penetrated to the depth of about an inch. It thus appeared 

 that the stiffness and torpidity of the larvae in the ripe grain are but 

 temporary, and that when they fall from their place within the chaff 

 scales, upon the moist ground, and cast their skins, they acquire the 

 activity and strength necessary for penetrating into the soil, while 

 still in the larva form. 



The insects were not again seen until the last week of June, when 

 they began to appear in the imago state, and as early as the 10th of 

 July the whole had emerged. At that date there was no wheat in 

 blossom in this vicinity, but the development of the insects had pro- 

 bably been hastened by the warmth and shelter of the house. The 

 emergence of the midges appeared to take place in the evening, but 

 was not actually observed. After they had taken wing, their pupa- 

 cases remained projecting from the ground, and were white and 

 membranous. When examined by the microscope, they showed the 

 true chrysalis form, the wings and other external organs being di- 

 stinctly marked on them. 



The remainder of the larvae procured in autumn having been kept 

 dry in a paper box, have lost their orange colour, and appear to be 

 quite dead, moisture being apparently absolutely necessary to their 

 entering on the pupa stage. 



The insects obtained in the above-described manner were of both 

 sexes. The females agree in their characters with the figures and 

 descriptions of the European Cecidomyia Tritici*. The males, 

 which I have not seen figured or described, are distinguished by their 

 smaller size, differently-formed abdomen, and longer and more hairy 

 antennae. 



I am not aware whether the mode of hybernation of the wheat 

 midge or " weevil " is generally known to farmers in the United 

 States. If not, it is well worthy of attention, since, by cutting the 

 wheat early, and carefully collecting the larvae contained in the chaff, 

 and dust separated from the grain, a large proportion of the ensuing 



* Curtis, Journ. of Agric. Soc. England. 



