AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 117 



the seeds, disappearing entirely within it. Sometimes the larva lo- 

 cates near the puncture and sometimes the exit hole is on the oppo- 

 site cheek from the puncture. As it grows the head finally 

 protrudes from the seed as shown in Plate I, Fig. 7. After 

 feeding upon the contents of a seed and having grown too large to 

 find lodgment within it, it locates between the seeds in the pulp 

 and then gnaws holes in the seeds eating the contents of one after 

 another until often the contents of at least half a dozen are consumed 

 before the larva is grown. They seem to reject the coats and the 

 clear gelatinous envelope that surrounds the seeds. The refuse of 

 the seeds eaten turns black and becomes cemented together. A 

 black spot becomes visible through the skin. The location of the 

 larvae can be told readily as the currants infested soon begin to show 

 a clouded appearance where they are located. That cheek turns red 

 earlier and rapidly a deeper red and finally a black spot. Infested 

 fruits ripen earlier. Often half grown larvae will be found with the 

 head end half buried in a seed. Finally when full fed the larvae 

 gnaw to the surface and cut a circular hole about 1.5 mm.d. through 

 the epidermis by means of which they emerge with rag'ged edg'es. 



Do the Currants Drop While the Maggots are Still in Theji. 



On June 22nd we collected several hundred currants that had fallen 

 on the ground. One hundred of them were carefully dissected and 

 every one contained a maggot excepting- two from which the maggots 

 had emerged leaving the evidence of their work. (We. put about two 

 hundred of the currants in a box and on June 24 twelve pupae were 

 found.) The maggots were of various sizes from 2.5 mm. to 7 mm. 

 showing that the currants often drop before the maggots are mature. 

 On the same date we took quite a number of currants from the bushes 

 that were turning red. They were the large ones at the base of the 

 bunches and invariably were infested by a maggot. The maggots 

 were of various ages, some full grown, but would not average as 

 large as those found in the currants on the ground. 



Do the Larvae Leave the Fruit as Soon as It Falls. 



An examination of currants picked from the ground under the 

 bushes contained larvae of various ages, 7 mm. 4 ram. 3 mm. and 2 

 mm. in length. 



Put quite a number of infested currants in a box June 22nd and 

 some of them did not emerge and pupate before July loth. The 

 most however emerged in five days. 



Quite a number of currants were found on the bushes containing 

 evidence of aborted work showing some mishap to the egg or develop- 

 ing larvae. There were others which showed an exit hole proving 

 that quite a number of the maggots drop to the ground from the 

 currants before they fall. Quite a number of currants showed more 

 than one egg' puncture and several from two to three live and 

 flourishing larvae. 



