388 Insect, Fungus, and other Pests. .[Aug., 



will enable the Board to describe with greater accuracy the 

 effects of early and late sowing. (See also Leaflet No. 202.) 



A specimen of barley sent up from Somerset at the same 

 time as the oats was found to be attacked by the Gout Fly 

 (Chlorops tceniopus), and some wheat plants sent from 

 Fifeshire showed the presence of the Wheat Bulb Fly 

 (Hylemyia coarctata), which is a well-known enemy of wheat 

 in Forfarshire. The damage in the latter case is done by a 

 maggot that gnaws away the plant tissue, so that the con- 

 duction of sap is impossible, and the plants suffer in conse- 

 quence. A complete life history of the fly and its various 

 generations is still wanting, but it is probable that the new 

 generations of flies in June and July lay their eggs on some 

 gramineous crop, and that the flies from the second genera- 

 tion issue in time to attack the winter wheat. There appears 

 to be no record of Hylemyia coarctata attacking barley or 

 oats. When the crop is infested the maggots, feeding inside 

 the plant, cannot be reached, and apart from a stimulating 

 dressing that might help the plant to "grow away " from the 

 pest, the only practicable measure is to plough in the spoilt 

 plants so deeply that it will be impossible for the pest to come 

 to the surface. Mangolds forwarded to the Board from the 

 north of Hampshire showed signs of an attack of the Pigmy 

 Mangold Beetle (Atomaria linearis), a pest which was very 

 prevalent last year. These beetles, which do great damage to 

 the crop, are found in most parts of the country, but owing 

 to their small size they are often not noticed. As their life 

 history is imperfectly known, recommendations for treatment 

 are difficult. Thick sowing has been recommended, and also 

 steeping the seed in turpentine or paraffin ; but when the 

 attack is obvious, it is too late for remedial treatment. 



A number of letters continue to reach the Board dealing 

 with the prevalence of Beech Coccus in England. Two speci- 

 mens of supposed Coccus sent to the Board during July proved 

 to be the aphis known as Phyllaphis fagi. In one case sent 

 from Shrewsbury, a beech hedge 150 feet long and 12 feet 

 high was covered with the aphides, which kept to the under- 

 side of the leaves, except the winged specimens, which took 

 to flight as soon as the hedge was touched, thus rendering 

 spraying very difficult. The other case, from Camberley in 



