CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE WISLEY LABORATORY. 123 



prevent the escape of the fly when it should hatch, and kept in a green- 

 house during the winter. 



The Hahranthus bulb was completely destroyed by the grub which 

 pupated in the soil. At the end of March the fly hatched out and 

 examination showed it to be the narcissus fly, Merodon equestris, as 

 had been suspected from an examination of the grub. The fly was sent 

 to the British Museum (where it has been deposited), and Mr. E. E. 

 Austen, who kindly examined it, confirmed the identification. 



The grubs which had attacked the Vallota became pupae, but the 

 flies did not properly develop. The pupse cases were found in the soil 

 and appeared to have had their contents destroyed, and as two centi- 

 pedes were found in the pot it is possible that they had eaten them. 

 There can be no doubt, however, that the insect in this case, too, was 

 Merodon equestris. It does not seem necessary to suppose that the 

 bulbs of Vallota were already infected when imported, for they were 

 received in England and potted up at the time the fly would be on the 

 wing in this country. 



Mr. Wilks tells us that he has recently found grubs of this fly in the 

 bulbs of lilies. 



It is therefore certain that the narcissus fly will attack and destroy 

 the bulbs of other plants besides the daffodil, and any effort designed 

 for its extermination will have to take into consideration this possibility 

 too. 



[Since the above was in type Mr. F. C. Adams, of Fern Cottage, 

 Lyndhurst, writing in the Gardeners* Chronicle of July 8, 1911, 

 records the destruction last winter of four or five bulbs of Hippeastrum 

 in his greenhouse by the larvae of Merodon. In this case also he bred 

 out the flies, which hatched during May and June.] 



