33G Animal Report fur 1888 of the CnnR^iltinrj EnfomoloijiH. 
wise as leaving a belt near the hedge untouched. The dates of 
sowing the attacked crops, so far as I could gain information, 
were in October, and in a few cases later — in one instance on 
January 10 — and as this seed did not come up until about 
March 10, it shows that the attack can be begun in spring. 
Last season's insect attacks were exceptional, probably from 
the unusual weather of the preceding year ; but in the case 
of this wheat-bulb maggot attack it seems to occur in ordinary 
years most on land which, by course of previous cultivation, may 
be presumed to be sown early, whilst the summer brood of flies 
is still about ; also that attack is attracted by special conditions 
of land. There are many notes of it occurring after swedes, and 
also I have an observation of it coming, not yearly, but every 
three or four years. It may be worth while to watch it, if it fol- 
lows the regular rotation. 
To get this attack under we need to know where the summer 
brood lives ; it is quite possible that eggs may be laid in decaying 
vegetable matter, or even in manure, and if when attack is 
noticed (as sometimes happens) very early in the spring, or even 
in February, I could have samples of soil immediately sur- 
rounding the infested plants, it might throw light on the point 
of whether the maggots passed part of their life in manure. 
Flour attack on a very large scale from maggots which 
proved to be of the small newly observed moth, the Ephestia 
KiilinieUa, was sent to me for consideration, and I am glad to 
report that we found means by mechanical applications to 
enormously lessen the mischief that was going forward, if not 
completely to clear out this attack, which is of a very serious 
nature in large flour-mills. I have also had much communica- 
tion regarding various kinds of pests out of corn screenings, 
home and imported. 
Eonl Corn Imports. 
I subjoin a digest of the information with which I have been 
favoured from a few large firms connected in various ways with 
the import trade in corn, and especially in wheat, at Hull, 
Liverpool, and. elsewhere, relatively to the condition in which 
these imports come over ; and, first, the very large amount of 
foreign matter sent therein, which is eminently calculated to 
convey all insect pests transmissible in straw and screenings, and 
likewise by its heating properties is calculated very largely to 
foster increase of granary weevils, which are one great cause of 
loss in imported corn. 
The above points were the reason of my own inquiry into 
the matter, but accompanying this I have found there is a very 
