40 
CORN. 
prove to be Oscinis; and a few days later (on July 7th) he further 
wrote that he had then “larvae, pupae, and, I think, two imagines,” 
and he considered the larvae appeared to correspond with that of 
Oscinis vastator of Curtis, which remark is of a good deal of interest, as 
confirming the opinion of Dr. E. L. Taschenberg that the Erit Fly, 
the Oscinis frit (which our English specimens proved to be when the 
perfect fly developed) and the Oscinis vastator of Curtis are the same 
species. 
Regarding amount of attack, Mr. W. McCracken, Professor of 
Agriculture, Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, kindly favoured 
me, on July 4tli, with the following useful note:—“ I send you a few 
specimens of Oat affected by a small grub. I am sorry to say a very 
large area in this part of the country has suffered similarly. The 
crop from which these specimens are taken is practically destroyed, 
except for hay. Winter Oats and all early spring-sown fields seem to 
have escaped.” And a few days later Prof. Harker wrote further on 
this point:—“ Since writing you we have examined a field of Oats 
quite near to the College. The damage is quite appalling; Mr. 
McCracken roughly estimates 90 per cent, of crop gone.” 
The last report of damages which I received, with specimens in 
maggot and chrysalis-state accompanying, was forwarded to me, on 
July 9tli and 12th, by Mr. W. Gostling, from Oakley, Bedford, with 
the observation that the maggot had injured several crops of Black 
Tartarian Oats in that neighbourhood. Likewise, that the whole of 
his own Oats—some sixty acres—were injured in a greater or less 
degree, although he had applied 10 cwt. of soot per acre to some, and 
II cwt. of nitrate of soda to the rest in the early stage of growth. 
The plants forwarded were of a good green colour, and from about 
four to seven inches in height of shoot, but inside they were destroyed 
by the maggots. In some instances traces of the working, or even 
the maggot itself, was to be found in the forming (or what should have 
been the forming) stem at from three-quarters of an inch to an inch 
and a half from the surface of the ground. The peculiar branched 
spiracles were very noticeable. Chrysalids were present, similar in 
appearance to other specimens which I received of those of Frit Fly, 
as well as maggots. 
Summary .—As injury from Frit Fly attack appears to be unusual 
in this country to the amount to which it occurred last year, a short 
summary of the above observations may be useful. Looking at the 
geographical distribution of the attack (so far as appears from the 
notes sent to me), it seems to have been most prevalent in Devon and 
Cornwall. It was reported from the neighbourhoods of Launceston, 
Bodmin, St. Columb, and Truro; from Scorrier, between Truro and ^ 
Redruth; and also from Nevvlyn East, near Penzance, in Cornwall. 
