CORN SAWFLY. 
63 
(comparing the relative amount of this and of Hessian Fly) :—“ So 
far as I have at present seen Cephus pygmceus is much the most busy 
with us, for I can find it in great abundance in nearly every Wheat- 
field in the district. 
On August 6th I had examples of attack of the same corn-pest sent 
me by Mr. R. Lesson Martin from Helpston Village, Market Deeping, 
out a crop of Wheat then being cut; and also on Aug. 6th, a specimen 
of Cephus pygmceus attack with the maggot in the straw, was sent me 
by Mr. F. Scorer, from Swinhope, Great Grimsby, accompanying 
samples of Hessian Fly attack. 
On the 9th of August specimens of straw were sent by Mr. 
Stephenson, from Burwell, near Cambridge, showing the straw partly 
filled with the sawdust-like excrementitious matter consequent on the 
Sawfly maggot feeding within the stalk; and on the 15th Messrs. 
J. Robinson and Son, of North all, Kettering, forwarded samples of the 
same attack, with the observation that neighbours had applied to them 
in great trouble on this account. 
The following notes from Mr. D. D. Gibb, of Thorn’s Farm, 
Lymington, gives a somewhat more detailed account of the appear¬ 
ance of the attack. On the 17th of August he noted that at harvest¬ 
time he had found in the Wheat what he believed to be the Corn 
Sawfly [Cephus pygmceus), “had been busy at work; the larva had cut 
the straw at ground-level, the stalks falling down presented a very 
pinched appearance,—in some cases worthless. To-day, on inspecting 
some late-sown Barley, I found the Sawfly had again showed itself 
there in great numbers.” 
Mr. E. M. Edwards, writing on the 24th of August, from the Precincts, 
Peterborough, forwarded straws showing the depredations of the Sawfly 
maggots, and in some cases the insects then present, from a portion of a 
Wheatfieldin the neighbourhood, which was much destroyed by the grubs. 
On Aug. 22nd specimens of Sawfly attack were sent me from near 
Spalding, Lincolnshire ; and on Sept. 5th Mr. J. A. Smith, of 
Akenham, Ipswich, wrote that in looking ineffectually for the Hessian 
Fly on his own farm, he had for the first time become aware of the 
great damage inflicted on the crops by Corn Sawfly. 
There does not appear to be any reason to fear recurrence of 
attack from infestations of one year keeping up supply to the next, in 
places where the maggot has been destroyed in the stubble, as 
mentioned at p. 60; but as attention has been directed to this 
subject, it would be of ssrviceable interest to know whether in the 
coming season the corn-pest is again very noticeable, and also to have 
estimates of the damage caused by it. I should be greatly obliged if 
my correspondents would give me details regarding this attack, if it 
should occur, or also that of Chlorops , which is previously noticed. 
