SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, JULY 8. 



CXXXV11 



theru. The colour of the grubs is also peculiar, but that may partly be 

 owing to the food. I will report again if I can get any further information 

 on the subject." 



Pear, diseased— Mr. Hooper showed some Pears blackened by disease. 

 Mr. Saunders reported upon them as follows : — " The small blackened, 

 malformed Pears had been attacked by the grubs of the ' Pear Midge,' 

 Diplosis pyrivora (fig. 175), which seems to be particularly common this 

 year. The parent insect is a small two-winged fly which somewhat 

 resembles a very small gnat. It lays its eggs among the stamens of the 

 blossoms just before they open. As soon as the grubs are hatched they 

 make their way into the embyro fruit and feed upon it. As soon as they 

 are full-grown they leave the fruit and bury themselves in the ground 



Fig. 175.— Diplosis pypavoRA infesting young Peaks. (Journal of Horticulture.) 



A. Affected fruit, natural size when swollen and rounded by the presence of the 

 grub. B. Section of the same showing (a) grubs in situ. C. Pear-midge ; (b) male 

 (natural size) ; (c) female (magnified) as seen depositing her eggs ; (d) her long 

 ovipositor, with which she pierces the unopened blossom and lays her eggs amongst 

 the stamens ; (e) eggs ; (/, g, li) grub magnified, and showing its looping gait ; 

 (i) cocoon (natural size) ; (J) the same opened, showing grub at rest ; (k) pupa 

 (natural size and magnified). 



about an inch below the surface, and become chrysalides. In this 

 condition they remain until the following spring, when the flies emerge 

 from the chrysalides and visit the flowers. The grubs are probably by 

 this time hidden in the soil, and the only thing to do is to scrape off 

 about an inch and a half of the surface soil and burn it ; or the ground 

 may be dug and the upper soil buried some four or five inches below the 

 surface : this will prevent the flies in the spring reaching the open air. 

 When first the fruit is noticed in the spring to be attacked, all that show 

 signs of being infested should be gathered and destroyed. Sometimes 

 giving the tree a good jarring shake will bring down the injured Pears, 



