iig 



Narcissus Fly [Merodon eqiiestris) (14), -which is a large 

 hairy Insect marked very like a small Bumble Bee. It 

 appears in spring and early summer up to July, flying in 

 the sunshine over the beds. The eggs are laid on or near 

 the leaf bases or on the necks of the bulbs if the latter are 

 exposed. Narcissi and Hyacinths are the bulbs chiefly 

 attacked. The method by which the young larvae enter 

 the bulbs is doubtful; they either penetrate between the 

 scales of the neck or crawl outside to the base of the 

 bulb and then gnaw their way within, or possibly both 

 methods may occur. When fully growm the larvae measure 

 fin. long and in this stage they pass the winter, usually 

 turning to the pupa in the spring, either m the soil or some- 

 times in the bulbs. The life-history is said to occupy two 

 years, but this is probably erroneous. The presence of 

 these larv^ can be usually detected by gently pressing 

 the bulbs, the infected ones being less hard, but it is often 

 impossible to be quite sure without cutting open the bulb. 

 Before planting, or just after lifting, all infected bulbs 

 should be burnt, and any bulbs, concerning which there is 

 the least suspicion, should be steeped for an hour in water 

 at TIG deg. F. ; if this temperature be not exceeded no harm 

 should accrue to the bulbs, while any maggots present are 

 said to die afterwards as the result. Possibly a lower 

 temiperature is effective and growers are advised to deter- 

 mine this point for themselves. Any bulbs that fail to 

 appear or undergo very little growth in spring should be 

 dug up and destroyed as soon as possible. 



The House Fly {Mitsca domestica) (16) although quite 

 harmless to vegetation is of great importance economically. 

 Its eggs are usually laid in fermenting accumulations of 

 horse manure, but may be also deposited in decaying 

 vegetable refuse, ash-pit contents and other substances. 

 The f empale Fly lays upwards of 120 to 1 50 eggs at a time, 

 and each is capable of laying Ave to six such batches. 

 The length of the complete life cycle depends very largely 

 upon temperature, and during hot weather it ma\' only 

 occupy three weeks from the time the eggs are laid up to 

 the time when the resultant Flies emerge. Certain of the 

 late autumn Flies survi^'e the winter and give rise to the 

 maggots in the following spring; the Flies appear in their 

 greatest profusion during x\ugust and September. The 

 House Fly is injurious to man m acting as a carrier of 

 disease germs, and it is specially concerned with the spread 



