10 
COEN. 
Hessian Fly; American Wheat Midge. Cecidomyia 
destructor, Say. 
Cecidomyia destructor, Say. 
Hessian Fly, natural size and magnified.* 
As far as at present appears there has been no recorded presence 
of the Hessian Fly in Britain until the latter end of July of the 
present year (1886). 
Those who desire to trace its history from its first outburst as a 
destructive scourge in North America during the years 1786 to 1789, 
with full reports of its history, habits, gradual spread, destructive 
powers, and ravages, up to complete attacks of crops, onwards to the 
date of its first proved appearance in Europe, and the testimony borne 
(up to July of the present year) of the absence of this pest from our 
own country, will find information on these subjects in the works 
whose titles are quoted in the appended table. 
Kelatively to the watch instituted on its very first appearance in 
America lest this pest should be transmitted to our own land, we find 
that in 1788 the wheat crop was so much injured in various North 
American localities, from which corn was then exported in large 
quantities to Great Britain, that the exportation of grain from 
America was prohibited until the English Government was assured 
that the fly with eggs could not be introduced in the grain ; f and next, 
that consequently on the annually recurring tidings of the more and 
more widely extending devastations of the Hessian Fly in America, 
the investigations on this side the Atlantic were set on foot by Sir 
Joseph Banks, the result of which was, as reported by him, “ that no 
such insect could be found by him to exist in Germany or any other 
part of Europe.”! 
* The following paper is a reprint of my pamphlet, ‘ The Hessian Fly in 
Britain,’ giving an account of the main points of the observations up to the date 
of going to press. Further information will be given, if desirable, in an appendix. 
t Bulletin No. 4 of U. S. Entomological Commission. 
I Dr. B. Wagner on Hessian Fly. lieport of U. 8. Entomological Commission, 
1880 - 82 ; Appendix I., p. 28. 
