52 



grapes were punctured, and the juice sucked out. He has not been able to detect any- 

 thing but flies at them, the same as often attack the cherries. The worst flies, he 

 states, are several varieties of the blue bottle, and " a large flatter fly, with a spotted grey- 

 ish body and wings." Might not this have been occasioned first by the honey bee punc- 

 turing the grapes, and the flies subsequently gathering to feast on the juices which would 

 escape through the punctured skin ? Mr. Dougall says that the grapes which ripened 

 later were scarcely touched. 



In concluding this section of our report, we would express our thanks to the gentle- 

 men who have kindly replied to our many queries, and thus sent us much valuable infor- 

 mation on the habits and geographical distribution of the various species. 



