HESSIAN FLY. 
35 
Non-presence of Hessian Fly Attack in the extreme North 
of Scotland. 
In regard to presence of tlie Hessian Fly in the northern extremity 
of the island, I applied to Mr. George Brown, of Watten Mains, 
Caithness, to whom I have been indebted for many years for observa¬ 
tions, and who is perfectly competent to form an opinion on the 
subject; and on Sept. 10th he sent me the following reply :— 
“I have been on the look-out, but have never come across 
anything bearing the slightest resemblance to attack from these pests ; 
and am pleased to say, so far as I can learn, Caithness is as yet free 
from a visitation.” 
I was favoured also by Mr. Jas. Johnston, of Opliir House, 
Orkney, in reply to my inquiry whether the pest under consideration 
had been observed in the Orkney Islands, with the information that 
he had neither seen the Hessian Fly nor heard of it there. 
The following paragraphs refer to the only observations of the 
EGGS OF THE HESSIAN FlY WHICH WERE REPORTED TO ME | TO THE 
FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE HeSSIAN FlIES FROM THE CHRYSALIDS OF 
1887 ; AND TO THE VERY IMPORTANT MATTER OF THE IDENTIFICATION OF 
the Hessian Fly parasites. 
First observation of maggots reared from eggs laid by tlie Hessian Fly. 
The only observations sent me on this head were by Mr. D. Taylor 
(previously quoted), who mentioned to me, on August 22nd, that he 
had secured a few Barley plants with maggots of the C. destructor 
reared from the eggs. These he placed in the hands of Mr. S. L. 
Mosley, of Huddersfield, and he also forwarded some plants, with eggs 
on them, to myself; but, though it may fairly be considered certain 
that the flies were about in the fields during August, it was not till some 
days later that the first appearance of the flies from chrysalids of the 
summer brood, which had been taken from the fields and kept in 
captivity, was reported. 
With regard to method of deposit of the eggs of the Hessian Fly on the 
blade of corn, Mr. Taylor further observed :— 
“ The fly goes about egg-laying in a business-like manner, with its 
head towards the point of the blade and the ovipositor extended in a 
kind of semicircle to reach the concave surface of the blade. After it 
has laid one egg it takes a flight round the blade and alights again at 
almost the same place to repeat the operation, until a row of very 
minute specks of a vermilion-colour is laid along the centre of the 
d 2 
