Dec. 1896.] INJURIOUS INSECTS AND FUNGI. 287 



is obvious also that diseased bulbs, and these which have been in 

 contact with diseased bulbs, should not be planted again. 



Places in which bulbs are kept in store should be thoroughly 

 scrubbed with strong carbolic, or sulphur soap, especially after 

 diseased bulbs have been stored in them. All pieces of bulbs, 

 and of the skin of the bulbs, should be swept up and burnt. 



Bulbs from places suspected of infestation or infection should 

 be dipped two or three times in powdered sulphur, or be well 

 dusted with it. 



. Bisulphide of carbon would also be valuable. It should be 

 placed in an iron tray above the bulbs, the whole being enclosed 

 in an air-tight, or nearly air-tight, case. This would, at all 

 events, kill the mites upon them. 



The Narcissus Fly (Merodon narcissi [clavipes ?].) 



Ely (after Meigen), magnified; line showing natural size. 



An extensive attack of the larvae of this fly upon narcissus 

 bulbs in Cornwall was reported early in October. The bulbs 

 sent were much decayed, and upon splitting them open they 

 were found to contain large maggots, evidently the larvae of a 

 fly. In some of the bulbs there were two larvae, but generally 

 only one, feeding upon their contents and causing them to 

 become rotten. The market gardener at Penrhyn, who sent the 

 affected bulbs, stated that upon lifting some this year he found 

 Ave per cent, infested with larvae. These bulbs had not been 

 lifted for two years and the attack was first noticed in March of 

 this year. In the middle of November a further communication 

 was received from this market gardener to the effect that the 

 attack was more severe than he had at first thought, as he had 

 been compelled to destroy several thousand bulbs of Narcissus 

 stella, Narcissus gloriosa, and other varieties. He stated further 

 that he had heard of a similar attack at Penzance. The larvae 

 found in the narcissus bulbs were clearly those of a species of 

 fly known as Merodon clavipes, Meigen. 



Life History. 



The fly Merodon narcissi {clavipes) belongs to the genus 

 Merodon of the family Syrphidce. Meigen, Macquart, and 

 Schiner describe from 15 to 27 species of Merodon known in 

 Europe, but it does not appear that more than two species have 

 been found in Great Britain, and these are somewhat rare. 



