THE EGG OF THE HESSIAN FLY. 
581 
ered by Mr. Havens, that it is unnecessaiy to repeat them 
here. The observations of Mr. Worth are interesting, as 
showing that the insect is not left without resources, although 
there are no young wheat-plants growing in June ; the upper 
joints of those old plants that are late in ripening being 
found to yield sufficient nourishment for a portion, at least, 
of the progeny of the June flies. They show, also, how 
easily the insects might be imported from Europe in the 
straw containing them, in the flax-seed state, about the upper 
joints. 
The old discussion, concerning the place where the Hes¬ 
sian fly lays her eggs, was revived in the year 1841, in con¬ 
sequence of a communication made by Miss Margaretta H. 
Morris, of Germantown, Pennsylvania, to “ The American 
Philosophical Society,” of Philadelphia. The following re¬ 
marks upon it are extmcted from a Report made to the same 
Society, and published in their “ Proceedings ” for November 
and December, 1840. “ Miss Morris believes she has estab¬ 
lished that the ovum (egg) of this destructive insect is 
deposited in the seed of the wheat, and not in the stalk or 
culm. She has watched the progress of the animal since 
June, 1836, and has satisfied herself that she has frequently 
seen the larva within the seed. She has also detected the 
larva, at various stages of its progress, from the seed to 
between the body of the stalk and the sheath of the leaves. 
According to her observations, the recently hatched larva 
penetrates to the centre of the straw, where it may be found 
of a pale greenish-white semitransparent appearance, in form 
somewhat resembling a silkworm. From one to six of these 
have been found at various heights from the seed to the third 
joint.” 
Miss Morris’s communication had not been published in 
full when the first edition of this work was prepared for the 
press; but, from the foregoing Report, we are led to infer, 
that the egg, being sowed with the grain, is hatched in the 
ground, and that the maggot afterwards mounts from the 
