﻿( 
  iii 
  ) 
  

  

  had 
  been 
  written 
  on 
  the 
  Hessian 
  Fly 
  by 
  entomologists 
  hailing 
  

   from 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  globe, 
  but 
  few 
  had 
  the 
  stamp 
  of 
  genuine 
  

   originality, 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  being 
  mere 
  compilations 
  by 
  so- 
  

   called 
  "arm-chair 
  naturalists," 
  whose 
  ignorance 
  of 
  the 
  subject 
  

   was 
  proved 
  by 
  the 
  mistakes 
  they 
  copied 
  from 
  the 
  papers 
  of 
  

   previous 
  compilers, 
  who 
  seldom 
  gave 
  the 
  dates 
  when 
  their 
  

   observations 
  were 
  supposed 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  made, 
  which 
  dates 
  

   he 
  considered 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  the 
  utmost 
  importance 
  when 
  following 
  

   out 
  the 
  life-history 
  of 
  any 
  insect. 
  Those 
  Fellows 
  who 
  desired 
  

   information 
  on 
  the 
  subject 
  would 
  find 
  every 
  fact 
  relating 
  to 
  

   the 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  insect 
  mentioned 
  in 
  the 
  full 
  account 
  in 
  the 
  

   Transactions, 
  verified 
  by 
  the 
  date 
  and 
  time 
  of 
  day 
  when 
  the 
  

   observation 
  of 
  such 
  fact 
  was 
  made. 
  

  

  The 
  author 
  stated 
  that 
  the 
  Hessian 
  Fly 
  generally 
  makes 
  

   its 
  first 
  appearance 
  in 
  May, 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  brood 
  

   emerging 
  during 
  June, 
  and 
  many 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  July. 
  

   Copulation 
  takes 
  place 
  during 
  the 
  early 
  morning 
  hours, 
  imme- 
  

   diately 
  after 
  which 
  the 
  female 
  proceeds 
  to 
  oviposit 
  on 
  the 
  wheat 
  

   and 
  barley, 
  laying 
  her 
  eggs 
  in 
  the 
  longitudinal 
  ridges 
  of 
  the 
  

   upper 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  freshest 
  leaves, 
  placing 
  them 
  in 
  rows 
  of 
  

   from 
  three 
  to 
  ten 
  on 
  each 
  plant, 
  and 
  so 
  laid 
  that 
  when 
  the 
  larvae 
  

   emerge 
  their 
  heads 
  are 
  towards 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  leaves. 
  In 
  

   warm 
  moist 
  weather 
  the 
  eggs 
  hatch 
  in 
  four 
  days 
  ; 
  the 
  tiny 
  

   larvae 
  work 
  their 
  way 
  down 
  the 
  ridges 
  until 
  they 
  arrive 
  at 
  the 
  

   leaf-sheath, 
  between 
  which 
  and 
  the 
  stem 
  they 
  force 
  their 
  way 
  

   down 
  to 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  above 
  the 
  joint, 
  where 
  they 
  fix 
  them- 
  

   selves 
  head 
  downwards 
  and 
  towards 
  the 
  stem, 
  the 
  juices 
  of 
  

   which 
  the 
  larvae 
  steadily 
  appropriate 
  for 
  their 
  sustenance. 
  

   As 
  they 
  increase 
  in 
  size 
  so 
  does 
  the 
  barley 
  plant 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  

   latter 
  is 
  much 
  weakened 
  by 
  the 
  constant 
  drain, 
  which 
  goes 
  on 
  

   for 
  about 
  twenty 
  days, 
  and 
  though 
  an 
  ear 
  is 
  formed 
  it 
  is 
  gene- 
  

   rally 
  a 
  poor 
  one, 
  sickly 
  looking, 
  with 
  half-developed 
  grain 
  too 
  

   heavy 
  for 
  the 
  weakened 
  stem 
  to 
  bear 
  through 
  a 
  heavy 
  storm 
  of 
  

   wind 
  or 
  rain, 
  and 
  it 
  soon 
  bends 
  down 
  at 
  the 
  injured 
  joint, 
  just 
  

   above 
  the 
  point 
  where 
  the 
  larvae 
  have 
  been 
  feeding 
  ; 
  the 
  ear 
  

   resting 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  is 
  destroyed 
  by 
  the 
  first 
  prowling 
  mouse. 
  

   When 
  full 
  grown 
  the 
  larva 
  discontinues 
  feeding, 
  the 
  outer 
  

   skin 
  dries 
  up 
  and 
  becomes 
  of 
  a 
  bright 
  red 
  chestnut 
  colour 
  

   somewhat 
  resembling 
  a 
  '^flaxseed" 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  when 
  in 
  this 
  

  

  