11 
all. Such has appeared to be its history in this vicinity for several 
years past. Seasons favorable for its multiplication will doubtless 
occur, when its injuries will be much augmented ; as well as sea- 
sons of a reverse character, when its presence will scarcely be 
known. It is, therefore, very important that the entire history and 
habits of this insect should be accurately traced out. For only with 
a full knowledge of these, can we be able to resort intelligently to 
such measures as will keep its numbers constantly limited, or sweep 
it from those fields that will probably at times be excessively in- 
fested by it. 
f Irs Habits. 
Relying upon the correctness of the published statements, that it 
was not till ‘towards the last of June” that the fly infests the wheat- 
fields, and that “ the principal deposite of eggs is made in the first 
half of July,” I had not commenced searching for it, when on the 
16th of June I was informed by a neighbor, that it had been pre- 
sent for some days in large numbers, in a field of thrifty winter 
wheat of his. Upon repairing to this field, a small black fly, about 
one third of the size and much resembling the common house-fly, 
was pointed out as the dreaded enemy ; and so universally has this 
doubtless harmless species been for years regarded as the true wheat 
fly by the farmers throughout this whole section of the “infected 
district,” merely from the circumstance of its occurring abundantly 
in wheatfields simultaneously with the wheat-worm, that my com- 
panion was much surprised, and disposed to be incredulous of my 
assertion that that was not the wheat-fly. On opening the flowers 
of the wheat, however, the eggs of the real marauder were found in 
abundance ; and a sweeping, with the small gaflze fly-net in com- 
mon use by entomologists, between the stalks of grain towards 
their roots, immediately caught within it a number of the winged 
insects. My comrade was liwle less surprised on my pointing the 
real fly out to him, being scarcely able to conceive that such a tiny 
fragile atom, seemingly a mere moat floating before his eye, could 
be that potent enemy that had spread such desolation over our land. 
Several of the specimens thus caught, were of the spotted-winged 
species. These I conjectured, until I afterwards came to examine 
them attentively with the microscope, were only a variety of the 
