114 5IALXE STATE COLLEGE 



We addressed a letter to Prof. James Fletcher regarding its occur- 

 rence in Canada, and below is given his reply. 



My Dear Prof. Harvey. 



Your letter of Jul}' 23rd has been forwarded to me. The only 

 place in Canada, from which I have received complaints of Epochra 

 Canadensis^is British Columbia, where T am told that in many places 

 the black currants are rendered unusuable owing to the numbers of 

 white maggots which came to the surface when these are cooked. 

 This is presumably E. Canadensis although. I have been unable to secure 

 any specimens. I have received complaints concerning them for the 

 last thirteen years. At one place, Cowichan on Vancouver Island, I 

 was told in 1SS5 that black currants could not be used at all on this 

 account. 



I have been unable to find any specimens in gooseberries, although 

 the large handsome fruit of Ribes Lobbii (a gooseberry) is certainly 

 attacked by some larvae on Vancouver Island. 



Regretting that 1 am unable to give you more information. 



Believe me to be yours truly, 



J. FLETCHER. 



Mr. Wm. Cann of Topsam, Maine, writes us that his curants in 

 1S95 were stung and a maggot was formed inside. Xo specimens were 

 sent, but it was probably the above insect. 



From the abovedata it is quite certain thatEpocha Canadensis, Loew, 

 is a native American species, distributed throughout the northern 

 part of the United States, and in Canada, extending from the Atlantic 

 to the Pacific coast. It will be interesting to determine whether it 

 infests native currants and gooseberries and from them has trans- 

 ferred it depredation to the cultivated varieties. 



Observations — How Does the Fly Oviposit. 

 She runs over the currant in a nervous restless manner keeping the 

 wings in a constant fanning motion. Often examines carefully 

 several currants before finding one to her fancy. Usually one of the 

 large currants in the upper part of a bunch that is in the shade is 

 selected. Then coming to rest the last three segments of the abdo- 

 men are turned at quite an angle forward under the abdomen. The 

 hind feet are set bracing backward and outwards. Then the trun- 

 cate end of the last segment rests on the currant and the ovipositor 

 is protruded making a puncture. The probing continues very 

 rapidly for fully five minutes at least, a plunge is made in every 

 second. The last segment is occasionally raised during the process 

 showing the protruded sheath of the ovipositor and the ovipositor 

 inself. Finally the plunging motion changes to a vermicular move- 

 ment of the abdomen to expell the egg which lasts about half a 

 minute when the ovipositor is withdrawn, and the deed is done. The 



