402 
Ohsei'vations on the various Insects 
was more or Ipss consumed by the maggots, especially towards the 
base, where it was the most matured ; but it often happened that 
there was no indication of grain, the chaft" only being developed. 
Having found two specimens of the Chlorops with their wings 
crumpled, near the top of the spathe, I am satisfied that the flies 
crawl out from between the leaves as soon they hatch, and there 
expand their wings ; and the species 1 was able to identify by the 
colour of the feet. 
It has been said that this disease is confined to the most luxuriant 
crops ; but this surely arises from the rank and unnatural appear- 
ance occasioned by the swelling of the stems. Some of the naked 
Nepaul barley was also infested with the Chlorops, which in August 
exhibited deep channels the whole length of the stems. It seems to 
attack rye and barley sometimes in preference to wheat ; and per- 
haps there is not a year that this fly is not at work, but at intervals 
in such small numbers tliat the mischief passes unnoticed. There 
are some other species of Chlorops, which occasionally make 
their appearance in myriads : I remember witnessing the ceiling 
of a room which was absolutely discoloured by a very similar spe- 
cies, the Chlorops hi/postiqma of Meigen, if 1 mistake not, which 
swarmed in the autumn of 1834, when many persons informed 
me that it was not of rare occurrence at that season in Suflblk. 
I also received examples of this species last October, which "lite- 
rally covered the ceiHng of abed-room" that had been white- 
washed, after scarlet fever had visited the house, which induced a 
supposition that the flies were tlie consequence. Inhere were thou- 
sands also on the windows of an iminhabited house in this neigh- 
botu'liood in the second week of October. 
I recollect that Mr. D. Sharp, a member of the Linmean So- 
ciety, presented me with specimens of the Chlorops tceniojms, many 
years since, which he had bred from the stems of wheat in Hunt- 
ingdonshire ; and, more recently, the late Mr. Sells stated before 
the Entomological Society, that many acres of rye had been kdled 
near Kingston, in Surrey, by these larvae burrowing into the stem 
at the surface of the ground. In 1837 the Chlorops was observed 
in abundance, whilst removinor a wheat-stack, near Bristol, in the 
month of April, with the caterpillars oi' JVocf ua aibiculari's, already 
noticed ; and in the autumn of the same year, these little flies ap- 
peared in myriads in houses in various parts of the country. It 
is, however, very much to be regretted that it is impossible to ascer- 
tain if they were all of the same or different species, as the speci- 
mens are either lost or scattered about in various collections. 
During the jircsent year a species has been detected of similar 
habits, which had jiot been previo\isly noticed. The first report of 
this disease was a communicalion iiom Mr. 11. Arthur, of Edin- 
burgh, published in the Gardener's Chronicle and Agricultural 
