THE TOUNG NATURALIST. 



6 



the lowest and rather swampy part of the field is also another point of similarity 

 to Chlorops attack, which I have often found in such localities. As fas as I 

 can judge of the empty pupa cases, they are those of the Chlorops, but the 

 state of the straw is quite absolute proof that the injury has been caused by 

 the larva of this dipterous fly. It is a stout made little black and yellow 

 dipteron about this length — — , and you will find an account of it, with 

 figure in my own ' Manual of Injurious Insects/ if you chance to have it at 

 hand, or in Curtis' British Farm Insects." 



Earlier on in the same letter, Miss Ormerod says : " I had been greatly 

 desiring to obtain some authentic information about the attack, which I did 

 not in the least believe could be of Hessian fly." 



On turning up the article on Chlorops taniopus in Miss Ormerod's book 

 as above, I find the description tallies exactly with her letter, and with our 

 experience. For instance, the following : " The fly attacks various kinds of 

 corn, but in our own country appears to be most prevalent on barley. When 

 barley is attacked by this insect the plants will be found stunted in growth, 

 and later in ripening ; with the stems somewhat distorted and swollen in the 

 joints, whence the name of ( Gout/ " 



ft The ears, even at full growth, are generally still sheathed, or partly 

 sheathed, in the leaves, and on opening them the stem will be found to have 

 a long pitchy-brown furrow from the base of the ear down to the first knot 

 in the stem. The ears are sometimes wholly abortive, sometimes with many 

 grains absent, small or mis-shapen ; this being especially the case on the side 

 of the ear on which the stem is furrowed/' 



" The maggot is yellowish white, and legless, tapering to the head and 

 blunt at the tail ; it changes to a pupa in the sheathing leaves, and the very 

 small and rusty ochre- coloured fly-case may often be found lying in the black 

 furrow caused by the gnawing of the grub. From this case Chlorops or Gout 

 Fly, comes out towards the the end of summer, as a small two-winged fly, 

 about the eighth of an inch long thick and stumpy in shape, yellow, with 

 three black stripes along the back between the wings, and the abdomen of a 

 greenish black, with black cross -bands. The wings when at rest extend 

 beyond the tip of the abdomen. 



I think we have, so far as the " Hessian Fly " is concerned, sufficiently 

 disposed of the scare in this neighbourhood, and for the present at least, two 

 things lie before us, first to consider the best means of combating the present 

 enemy, as no doubt it will re- appear next season, and second to recognize and 

 be prepared for the true " Hessian " should it come. 



Again, I quote Miss Ormerod : " When a crop is seen to be much attacked 

 (by Chlorops), it is desirable to draw the injured plants by hand. This may 



