174 
THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
late Major General Hales Wilkie, who having 
made inquiries and studied the metamorphosis of 
the insects, and placed himself in communication 
with distinguished foreign professors, deemed it 
his duty to make known to the public what he 
and the Committee learnt relative to the insect in 
question from both a technical and practical point 
of view. 
Biology: — The fly presents a sexual dimorphism 
which consists in the male having two clubshaped 
projections on the forehead. 
It is very lively and hardy, so much so, that when 
kept without food under a glass shade it main- 
tained its energy for twelve days. The female flies 
perforate the rind of fruits and deposit their eggs 
therein, from which in a few days appear the 
larvae, these destroying the pulp of the fruit causes 
it to fall to the ground where it soon decays. 
The spot perforated is indicated by a dark 
stain, in the centre of which may be observed a 
small hole, this admits the air necessary for the 
respiration of the larvae and through it the latter 
pass out when they cannot find other ways. These 
openings in the fruit cause it to rot. 
The female insect prefers to lay its eggs on the 
side of the fruit most exposed to the sun because 
these insects display their fullest energy under 
the influence of the direct rays of the sun. 
The larvae form their cocoons under ground but 
one of the members of the Committee, Mr. Alfonso 
Micallef, has observed in his garden cocoons in 
the chinks of walls. This shows that the larvae 
go there to undergo the metamorphosis in 
chrysalis. 
We have not been able so far to ascertain how 
many generations are produced during the year 
but it is certainly more than one. 
The wings of this insect 'are semi-transparent 
with about sixteen brown and yellowish spots. Its 
claws are yellow, the head is of various colours, 
the breast speckled and the belly dark yellow. 
We have thought proper to give this brief descrip- 
tion in order to refer the reader to that of the 
renowned Professor Penzig of Genoa at page 472 
of his work entitled — “Studi Bottanici sugli 
agrumi e sulle piante affini.” — Roma Tipografia 
Eredi Botra 1887. 
Means proposed by the Professors cov suited and 
by the Committee . 
In order to rid gardens of this destructive 
insect which not only consumes acid fruits but 
also peaches, medlars etc: — at present scarce in 
the market on account of this insect, it was pro- 
posed by some to gather the infected fruit and 
destroy it by burning. But Major General Hales 
Wilkie suggested a plan which he himself had 
tried in his own garden. This consists of 
collecting all fallen fruit before the maggots had 
time to come forth and bury themselves in the 
soil, and placing it in tanks of water, where a 
mash might be made that afterwards might be 
utilized as manure. 
The placing the fruit thus pounded in a pit dug 
in the garden and covering it with quick lime is 
highly recommended. The caustic property of 
the quick lime kills the larvae. 
The President had each fruit wrapped in a 
muslin bag which was also found to be most 
efficacious. 
The celebrated Professor G. Canestrini of the 
University of Padova favoured us with a letter 
in which this zoologist expressed a hope that the 
Dipterans in question, following natural laws, 
after having appeared in such large swarms will 
begin gradually to decrease in number to such a 
degree as ultimately to inflict no appreciable 
damage to harvests. Notwithstanding this how- 
ever, the writer recommends prompt action to 
be taken against such a pernicious insect. 
We publish herewith a letter from Professor 
Penzig who refers to a work from which we quote 
the following remarks for public information. 
Istituto Bottanico. 
della R. University di Genova. 
23, April 1889. 
I have much pleasure in acknowledging the 
receipt of your letter of the 19th inst, and in 
reply I beg to inform you that the insects that 
you sent me were Halterophona Hispanica. 
Rondani Ceratitis hispanica. De Breme), a species 
that is very similar to H. capitata. Rondani. 
{Ceratitis citriperda. Me Leay). In the few pages 
that I have enclosed with my letter and which 
are taken from my work, “Studi botanici sugli 
agrumi e sulle piante afini” Roma 1887 you. wall 
find some detailed observations on life and habits 
of this insect Page 473-477 which will I think be of 
great interest to the Commission. I would specially 
