2 10 



The Frit Fly. 



and hams, but cheese, horn, skins, feathers, hair, silk, and 

 other dry goods. Fresh hams and bacon are not so liable to 

 be attacked as those that are slightly tainted, improperly 

 cured, or injured in any way. 



The beetles are very disposed to lay their eggs in any 

 crevice. The larvae are very minute when first hatched, and 

 can easily penetrate muslin (in which bacon is frequently- 

 hung) unless it is very fine. The larvae as they mature bury 

 themselves in the bacon, although at first they feed upon 

 the exterior. 



To prevent their attack, bacon is best hung as it some- 

 times is in America, in thin paper bags, care being taken 

 that all crevices are closed, or else the minute larvae coming 

 from the eggs laid on the paper may manage to work their 

 way through. 



When the larvae and beetles are found on the bacon, the 

 attacked part should be cut away fairly deeply, and well 

 washed with a strong solution of salicylate of soda or sali- 

 cylic acid. After a bad attack, the store-room should be well 

 whitewashed and then fumigated with bisulphide of carbon 

 or with sulphur ; the former is much the most successful way 

 of clearing out indoor pests in store-rooms. It may be noted, 

 however, that the bisulphide of carbon, although very effec- 

 tual against the larvae, pupae, and mature beetles, does not 

 appear to have any influence on the eggs, whereas salicylic 

 acid appears to destroy delicate eggs. 



The Frit Fly. 



Considerable damage has been caused this year to barley 

 and oats in many districts, particularly in the South of 

 England, by a small dipterous insect known as the Frit Fly, 

 which is either Oscinis frit (Linn.) or Oscinis vastator (Curtis). 

 If these two species are really distinct they nevertheless 

 have a similar life-history. 



The larvae of the first brood are noticed in the spring 

 feeding just inside the crown of the plant, and in the majority 



