could be found by him to exist in Germany or any other 
part of Europe.”* 
An alarm took place as to the arrival of the pest 
about the beginning of the present century, which was 
proved to be unfounded by evidence that it was another 
kind of fly.f The well-known passages in Kirby and 
Spence’s ‘ Entomology ’ as to the destructive character 
of this pest if it gained footing give a long range 
onwards of wow-observation from about 1815 to the date 
of the edition of 1855; and in 1845 John Curtis notices 
the attack as one which, as it had then been detected in 
Europe, it was well to mention. And, in the summary 
of information given in the ‘ Report on Hessian Fly,’ 
brought out by the United States Entomological Com¬ 
mission, 1880-82, I find these statements: “We know 
that the Cecidomyia destructor does not inhabit England 
or Scandinavia .”% 
Throughout this course of years we do not find any 
authentic notice of the Hessian Fly occurring on our 
side the Atlantic until possibly 1888 in Hungary, but 
the first sure statement of the existence of the Hessian 
Fly in Europe is considered to be that of “ its discovery, 
by Mr. J. Dana in 1834, at Mahon, Toulon, and Naples ” 
(“ Hessian Ely not imported from Europe,” ‘Canadian 
Entomologist,’ 1880). 
It is now known to exist in the South of France, Austria, 
Hungary, and during the last seven years its presence 
has been reported in Southern Russia, and its original 
habitat is considered most probably to have been 
Southern Europe and Western Asia, i.e., about the 
shores of the Mediterranean Sea. (Report of U.S.A. 
Comm., previously cited). 
The past summer has shown its presence amongst our¬ 
selves. On July 27th the first specimens of the peculiar 
* Dr. B. Wagner on Hessian Fly. Report of U. S. Entomological 
Commission, 1880 - 82 ; Appendix I., p. 28. 
f See Linn. Trans., ii., 76-80. 
{ The name of Hessian Fly was originally given in consequence of the 
fly being noticed about the same time with the arrival of the Hessian 
troops in America. Those who wish to see the evidence by which this 
