RE POET OF TIIE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 



387 



The Lawrence pears of Mr. Cole are, as usual, badly infested this 

 year, also, the Beurre Bosc, while the Bartlett is but slightly attacked. 



Mr. S. B. Huested, of Blauvelt, Rockland county, N. Y., writing 

 under date of June 18th, states that the pear-midge has been discov- 

 ered in that vicinity this year for the first time. 



Spread of the Insect. 



At the time of notice of this insect in my Eighth Report, in 1891, it 

 was not known to have been extensively distributed in the Hudson 

 River valley, or, indeed, was there knowledge of its occurrence outside 

 of Greene and Columbia counties. It is undoubtedly steadily spread- 

 ing, for it has been heard from in several localities in Dutchess, Orange, 

 Ulster, and Rockland counties, and it is presumably present in all of the 

 river counties south of Saratoga and Washington counties. Its intro- 

 duction into New Jersey must have been direct from Connecticut and 

 not through New York, for Dr. Smith records its occurrence there in 

 1891, and is of the opinion that it had then been in the State for some 

 years: it has already reached to nearly the central portion of the State. 



A correspondent writing from Mountainville, Orange count} 7 , N. Y., 

 reports that the attack was first seen by him on a single tree two years 

 ago, and this year every pear upon it has been destroyed by the larvae. 

 In the other localities where it has been lately heard from, it is said 

 to be a new insect pest. Its spread is evidently a slow one, from which 

 it may be inferred that much good may be expected from the prompt 

 destruction of the infested fruit — easily to be recognized when looked 

 for — when first observed. The figures given on page 145 of the 

 Report, above cited, of the deformed and infested fruit may be 

 referred to. 



At Menands, three miles north of Albany, the most northern local- 

 ity known for the midge, the pear-trees which have been infested with 

 it for the preceding two years have, this year, from some unknown 

 reason, been entirely free from the attack. 



For illustrations and the history of this insect in its several stages, 

 its literature, etc., see pp. 140-151 of the Report above-named. 



Notes on Sciara. 



(Ord. Diptera: Fam. Mycetophilid^e.) 

 Some Literature of Sciara. 

 Meigen: in Illiger's Magazin, ii, 1803, p. 263 (genus established). 

 Macquart: Hist. Nat. Ins. — Dipt., i, 1834, pp. 147-150 (characters of 15 species 



occurring in France). 

 Fitch: 2d Report (of 1st and 2d), 1856, pp. 252-255 (Molobrus mali, vul- 

 garis, fuliginosa, inconstans). 



