THE HESSIAN FLY: 
ITS HISTORY, CHARACTER, TRANSFORMATIONS, AND HABITS. 
By Asa Fitch, M. D. 
[Originally published in the American Journal of Agriculture and Science, Vol. 
iv. v., and now revised by the author.] 
The insect which we are about to consider, has for a long period 
beep, at times, a severe scourge, in every district of our country. 
It is more formidable to us, says Dr. B. S. Barton, than would be 
an army of twenty thousand Hessians, or of any other twenty thou¬ 
sand hirelings, supplied with all the implements of war. Hence it 
has forced itself prominently to the notice both of agriculturists 
and men of science. No other insect of the tens of thousands that 
teem in our land, has received a tithe of the attention, or been chro¬ 
nicled with a tithe of the voluminousness that has been assigned to 
this species. Our scientific journals, our agricultural magazines, 
and our common newspapers, have each accorded to it a conspicuous 
place in their columns. As may well be supposed, almost every 
point in its history, has by one and another of its observers, been 
closely investigated, and laid before the public. Very little that is 
new, can, therefore, at this day be embodied in an account of this 
species. The most that an observer can accomplish, is to add his 
testimony in confirmation of facts that have been already announ¬ 
ced. The most that a writer can aim at, is to gather the various 
papers that are scattered through volumes sufficiently numerous of 
themselves to form a library, sift from them whatever they contain 
of importance, and arrange the facts thus acquired, into a connect¬ 
ed and symmetrical memoir. Such is the object of the present es¬ 
say ; to carefully review the various accounts that have been hith¬ 
erto published, extract from each the items of value which it con¬ 
tains, compare these with personal observations made under favora¬ 
ble circumstances during the past twelve months, and with the 
materials thus acquired, write out a history of this species, more 
