Report oj the Consulting Entomologist for 1886. 
311 
instruction and illustration, and subjects bearing more generally 
on insects ; and a portion has consisted of necessary inter- 
change of communications with some of the leading entomolo- 
gists of the British colonies, and the United States of America. 
The most important crop-attacks of the past season have been 
those to cereals, including the Hessian fly, injuries to barley and 
wheat, corn-saw fly-maggot in wheat-stems, and a small fly- 
maggot in bulbs of young wheat, and the disease known as 
tulip-root in oat-plants, from almost their first growth to a 
stunted maturity. 
Since reporting on Hessian fly in November, I have received 
information of " flax-seeds " being found at another farm, in the 
siftings beneath the threshing-machine. I have also received a 
communication from the Agricultural Experimental Station of 
the University of California regarding the appearance of Hessian 
fly to a serious extent in that country during 1885. I have 
thought it desirable to communicate on the subject of the 
Hessian fly being present in this country, and regarding mea- 
sures available as preventive treatment, with the Consulting 
Entomologist of the Dominion of Canada, and likewise with 
Professor Saunders, now Director of the Experimental Farm 
Stations, both of whom are well qualified to offer excellent 
advice. I have also written on the subject to Professor Riley, 
State Entomologist of the Department of Agriculture, Washing- 
ton, U.S.A., and others of the State Entomologists with whom I 
have the benefit of being in occasional correspondence, and 
who, should they think fit to do so, are in a position to give 
much valuable information regarding the Cecidomyia destructor. 
I am giving every attention in my power to the subject, and 
shall duly report as requisite. 
Corn-saw fly attack (scientifically that of Cephus pygmaeus) 
has occurred to a slight extent, and is sometimes taken for that 
of Hessian fly, as in both cases the injured straw falls. The 
attacks, however, may very readily be distinguished, for in the 
injury from saw-fly, the straw does not bend at a sharp angle, but 
falls, in consequence of the stem being cut through at ground- 
level by the maggot, which lives and feeds within the stem, and 
turns to a chrysalis within the lowest part. Sometimes great 
injury is thus done, but recurrence of the attack may be pre- 
vented by collecting and burning the stubble at any time after 
harvest, before the saw-fly comes out of the chrysalis in the cut 
stumps, which occurs towards the end of spring in the following 
year. Wheat bulb fly-maggot has again been troublesome ; we 
need more information regarding it. 
The disease known as " tulip root " (Fig. 1) in oat plants has 
been serious and widespread. It has occurred to a very injurious 
