CLOVER AND ALFALFA SEED CHALCIS-FLY. 7 



two hundred adults of B. funchnf^^ carried by the wind from a 

 near-by field, alighted upon the writer's shirt in the course of a few 

 minutes. Further observations revealed thousands of tliese chalcis- 

 flies being carried by the winds. 



LIFE HISTORY. 



METHOD OF STUDY. 



The life history of this seed chalcis-fly was studied by selecting old 

 alfalfa plants and first carefully removing all seed pods which had 

 begun to develop. The fresh blossoms were then artificially pollenized 

 and covered with thin cheesecloth bags. About one week later the 

 bags were removed and a mica breeding cage was placed over the 

 soft green seed pods. One or more adults of B, funehris were then 

 placed in the cage for oviposition into the green seeds. The mica 

 cage, with the adults of B. fwnebris^ was usually removed after one 

 day, and the seed pods were again covered with cheesecloth bags. 

 Here they were allowed to remain until desired for dissection and 

 study of the various stages of the chalcis-fly, or until the first adults 

 emerged. It was found that larvae of B. funehris^ which had been re- 

 moved from their natural cavities in the infested seed, could be 

 transferred to a cavity made in a small cork, and if properly cov- 

 ered with a medical capsule, or a small glass vial, they could be 

 reared to the adult stage without difficulty in the laboratory. The 

 hibernating larvae and pupae also were carried successfully through 

 to the adult stage in cavities made between two layers of sheet cork. 



Examinations of matured seeds were made by soaking the seeds 

 for a few hours and then dissecting them under a binocular micro- 

 scope. 



The period of incubation was studied by allowing adults to ovi- 

 posit into seed pods covered with mica cages and then dissecting 

 some of the seed from day to day until the first eggs were found to 

 have hatched. 



THE EGG. 



The ^gg (PI. II, A) of B. funehris is small, elongated, measuring 

 about 0.2 mm. long and 0.08 mm. in thickness. It consists of a delicate 

 membranous bag filled with a semiliquicl substance. One end of the 

 ^gg is terminated in a flexible point, while the opposite end is marked 

 by a slender tube-like film measuring about 0.2 mm. in length. 



LARVA. 



The larva (PL I, B) is grublike in shape. It averages 1.9 mm. 

 long and 0.9 mm. wide when fully developed. The pointed brown 

 mandibles are chitinous and visible to the unaided eye. With the ex- 

 ception of the mandibles the larva is white. It has no feet or legs 



