718 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
insect in the “flaxseed” state by E. W. Claypole of Yellow 
Springs O. and our observations subsequently confirmed his 
experience. The intense heat had not only dessicated the 
Cecidomyia but what is still more remarkable, in most cases 
the parasites also. 
On the other hand wet weather favors their development and 
under the influence of frequent showers the flies have been 
known to issue in large numbers from their “flaxseed” 
cases in early summer. This was very nicely illustrated 
last July in case of the barley attack. The continued rains 
in the spring induced the flies to complete their trans- 
formations early and July 10 a number of places were seen 
where the spring brood of the fly had completed its transforma- 
tions and departed. This was further confirmed by finding sev- 
eral large fields of barley sown about May 15, badly infested 
with larvae and young puparia of this insect. The barley 
attack was confined largely to the upper, softer nodes and in 
at least one large field the infestation was very thorough. 
Every stalk was infested with a few of the pests and eight 
plants taken at random from this field contained from 19 to | 
54 individuals, most of them being in the larval stage. This 
serious infestation is very interesting when compared with 
the following record of the weather in two localities in that 
Section of the state. The table given below is compiled from 
the records of the New York state weather bureau and shows 
the total precipitation in each of the growing months and the 
number of rainy days. 
TABLE OF PRECIPITATION 
Alden, Erie co. 
Year Month Total precip. in in. _ No. rainy days 
1900 Aug. 2.48 
Sep. 3.26 im 
Oct 3.18 i 
Nov. 8.42 16 
1901 Mar. 3.09 12 
AD. 4.34 ach 
May 4.49 18 
June 1.49 rt 
Elba, Genesee co. 
19 Aug 2.39 SL 
Sep. 2.69 Th 
Oct. Soo 8 
Nov 3.99 PAN 
1901 Mar 
Ap. 4.25 10 
May Bad 83 19 
June 3.38 10 
