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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



cracking and the escape of the larvae. The maggots at this time 

 were more than twice the size they were six days before, ranging 

 from 1.25 mm to about 2 mm in length. They were yellowish 

 white and appear much more active than earlier. The breastbone 

 was quite distinct, the anterior margin being well chitinized. 



Doctor Schmidberger, who studied this insect in Europe, states 

 that he found midges laying eggs as soon as the white petals 

 showed between the lobes of the calyx, the petals being pierced by 

 the long ovipositor. Only four days, according to his observations, 

 were necessary between deposition of eggs and the finding of young 

 larvae in the fruit. An examination of a young pear shows that 

 the eggs can be deposited near the middle of the developing fruit if 



the female midge simply reaches 

 down between the pistils and the 

 thickened fleshy walls of the small 

 pear. Mr Albright states that the 

 beurre bosc, Bartlett and seckel pears 

 are injured in about the order named, 

 and an examination shows that the 

 former two have a somewhat larger 

 cavity at the base of the pistils. The 

 larvae doubtless begin work at the 

 bottom of the cavity and with com- 

 paratively little effort make their 

 way into the developing fruit upon 

 which they subsist. June 3d a few 

 of the beurre bosc pears received 

 from Mr Albright were in fair con- 

 dition, several were in such a state 

 that a little pressure resulted in rup- 

 ture, while in one or two the decay had advanced so far as to involve 

 and discolor a portion of the external walls. It was only a question 

 of a few days before many of the affected pears would rupture and 

 the larvae escape. The full-grown maggots were at this time about 

 3 mm long, moderately stout, whitish or whitish orange and with a 

 well-developed breastbone. The subsequent escape of the maggots 

 from the infested fruit depends much upon climatic conditions, 

 being greatly hastened by rain which results in the speedy crack- 

 ing of the infested fruit. Specimen pears received from Mr Al- 

 bright June 6th showed a black discolored area on one side and 

 in a few instances this extended nearly around the pear, and in 



Fig. 12 Section of pear injured 

 by pear midge (original) 



