36 
CORN AND GRASS. 
that the Midge-grubs can feed and come to maturity in some other 
food than Wheat.” 
Prof. Wriglitson also noted the prevalence of this pest on the 
land of the College of Agriculture, Downton. On July 20th, he 
mentioned, “ Our Wheat is suffering fearfully from the ‘Midge’ this 
season, and I have given up all idea of a good crop. The little 
maggots are congregated to the number of twenty in one floret, and 
the grain is shrivelled up to nothing. The long continuance of cold 
and wet weather gives them every opportunity of carrying on their 
destructive work.” 
The yellow larvae are mentioned by Mr. C. Whitehead as doing 
much harm in Wheat at Banning, near Maidstone. It is noted, 
“from 7 to 10 per cent, of the grains of corn are absent from the 
ears, and the larvae are found in the chaff.” 
Mr. Hart, of Park Farm, Kingsnortli, Kent, mentions that he had 
a little red maggot in all his Wheat, though it was not to an injurious 
extent anywhere. 
The details given in some of the above notes convey information 
which is very practically useful, particularly if looked at in connection 
with the most recent observations on the history of these Midges. 
It will be noticed that at Cirencester a large number of Wheat 
Midges were observed flying about amongst the Wheat-stalks in the 
evening; also the grass at the hedge-sides proved to be as full of 
them as the Wheat; and further, that on examination of an adjoining 
field of Clover, which had been in Wheat the previous year, the 
Wheat Midges rose in great numbers on being disturbed. It is also 
noted that, after long examination of a field of permanent grass 
ready for cutting, not more than one or two Wheat Midges were 
found in it. 
Now, looking shortly at the history of this Midge, as given partly 
in the German, partly in some of the Canadian and U.S.A. observations, 
we find that the female lays her eggs, not only on the flowering heads 
of Wheat, and sometimes those of Barley, Rye, Oats, but also on those 
of Couch-grass, or Twitch (Triticum repens); also that in every stage 
of its life it is very susceptible of effect from dryness or damp. It 
comes out in the evening to lay; damp weather at the season of 
laying suits it, and it has been noticed as frequenting low-lying fields, 
and also the neighbourhood of hedges. 
Likewise observations are recorded of the Wheat Midge maggots 
(from which the Wheat Midges, male and female, presently developed) 
being found about the middle of June in clay from a field in which 
Wheat infested by Midges had been grown the previous year. 
Here we have a definite observation of the Red Maggot wintering 
in the earth at the root of its food-plant, which accounts for it being 
