CLOVER AND ALFALFA SEED CHALCIS-FLY. 7 
two hundred adults of B. funebris, carried by the wind from a 
near-by field, alighted upon the writer's shirt in the course of a few 
minutes. Further observations revealed thousands of these chalcis- 
flies being carried by the winds, 
LIFE HISTORY. 
METHOD OF STUDY. 
The life history of this seed chalcis-fly was studied by selecting old 
alfalfa plants and first carefully removing all seed pods which had 
begun to develop. The fresh blossoms were then artificially pollenized 
and covered with thin cheesecloth bags. About one week later the 
bags were removed and a mica breeding cage was placed over the 
soft green seed pods. One or more adults of B, funebris were then 
placed in the cage for oviposition into the green seeds. The mica 
cage, with the adults of B. funebris, was usually removed after one 
day, and the seed pods were again covered with cheesecloth bags. 
Here they were allowed to remain until desired for dissection and 
study of the various stages of the chalcis-fly, or until the first adults 
emerged. It was found that larvae of B. funebris, which had been re- 
moved from their natural cavities in the infested seed, could be 
transferred to a cavity made in a small cork, and if properly cov- 
ered with a medical capsule, or a small glass vial, they could be 
reared to the adult stage without difficulty in the laboratory. The 
hibernating larvae and pupae also were carried successfully through 
to the adult stage in cavities made between two layers of sheet cork. 
Examinations of matured seeds were made by soaking the seeds 
for a few hours and then dissecting them under a binocular micro- 
scope. 
The period of incubation was studied by allowing adults to ovi- 
posit into seed pods covered with mica cages and then dissecting 
some of the seed from day to day until the first eggs were found to 
have hatched. 
THE EGG. 
The egg (PL II, A) of B. funebris is small, elongated, measuring 
about 0.2 mm. long and 0.08 mm. in thickness. It consists of a delicate 
membranous bag filled with a semiliquid substance. One end of the 
egg is terminated in a flexible point, while the opposite end is marked 
by a slender tube-like film measuring about 0.2 mm. in length. 
LARVA. 
The larva (PL I, B) is grublike in shape. It averages 1.9 mm. 
long and 0.9 mm. wide when fully developed. The pointed brown 
mandibles are chitinous and visible to the unaided eye. With the ex- 
ception of the mandibles the larva is white. It has no feet or legs 
