Annnal lioport for 1888 of the Consulting Entomolorjist. 333 
injiny from Ogcini^ vastator of Cartis, now coujectured to be 
the same as the Oscinis frit, was recorded by John Cartis in 
1811. In 1881 Mr. R. H. Ueade informed me that the "frit 
fly " had been observed in the autumn of that year in swarms in 
an out-building, in the lofts of which a lot of newly thrashed 
barley had been stored ; but it was not until 1887 that 
I was able to watch the insect throughout its course up 
to the development of the perfect fly as a regular field attack 
to young oat plants. 
In 1888 the attack was widespread and severe, and (so far 
as I know from information and many specimens sent to myself) 
it was most prevalent in Devon and Cornwall. It was reported 
in Cornwall from the neighbourhood of Launceston, Bodmin, 
St. Columb, and Truro, from Scorrier, between Truro and 
Kedruth, and also from Newlyn East, near Penzance. It was 
also reported as prevalent both in North and South Devon, and 
from Taunton in Somersetshire. More inland I had notices of 
it from the neighbourhoods of Cirencester, Reading, Tetsworth, 
and also Oakley near Bedford, and later on had specimens of 
the injury that had been caused by it to oat plants near 
Norwich — that is, the attack lay across the country at localities 
in a slanting line from Norwich to the Laud's End. 
The greater part of the attacks were reported as not merely 
to fields, but over districts and neighbourhoods, and approxi- 
mate estimates of damage reckon it in various places at a third 
or more. On one field at the Royal Agricultural College it was 
roughly estimated at 90 per cent. From reports sent me in 
autumn it appeared that some of the infested oat crops re- 
covered partially as to straw, and side stalks came into ear, but 
from the very irregular date of ripening the crop was in bad 
condition. 
The " frit fly attack on the Continent affects both barley 
and oats, the maggots of the first brood injuring the young 
plant in the early summer, and those of the second brood feed- 
ing later on in the soft grain in the ears of barley or oats. I, 
therefore, thought it possible that it might have been imported 
into the infested districts in foreign gi-ain, and endeavoured to 
learn where the seed was ^wocured from. I obtained informa- 
tion that there is large importation of Swedish oats into Bristol, 
from which they are sent in all directions, and also that near 
Bodmin a small quantity of Swedish oats was sown (in one 
instance at least, and probably more) ; but this was all I could 
learn about continental importation. Other correspondents have 
used seed home-grown or imported from Ireland. 
Looking at the prevalence of this attack to such an unusual 
