As I am not aware that this anchor-process of the 
larva of the Cecidomyia destructor has as yet been pre¬ 
cisely figured, I give a magnified sketch from my own 
British specimens. The anchor-process is a short stem 
fixed at one end to the larva, and free at the other; the 
free end, which points forward, is 
considerably enlarged, and is of 
various form. In the “ red maggot ” 
of our own British Wheat Midge it is 
notched, as at fig. 2, No. 4, but in 
the anchor-process of the Hessian 
Ely the shape is more elaborate. 
The stem is slightly enlarged at the 
middle, and the extremity furnished 
with two conical prolongations, form¬ 
ing together a strong fork. When 
seen sideways the process looks more slender, and has 
a curved figure making a gentle arch from the insertion 
to the forked tip. 
The use of this appendage does not appear as yet to 
be fully known, but from my own observations I con¬ 
jecture that it is used as a digger or scraper, and it may 
be that the reason why strong-stemmed wheat, or stems 
containing more silica, are not so much injured by 
attack as other kinds, is, that the fork is not strong 
enough in these instances to assist the excessively deli¬ 
cate mouth-parts to acquire their food from the stem. 
The formation of the skin of the maggot is very 
peculiar, and, as seen under a J-inch power, 
resembles nothing so much as a nutmeg- 
grater. It is covered with most minute 
tubercles, each about the height of its own 
width, and each with a depression or orifice 
in centre. The two figs, at No. 5 give a 
view sideways and from above of these 
tubercles, from the dried skin of a larva 
taken from the puparium with the anchor- 
process attached. 
About the beginning of October, on again examining 
£0 
No. 5. — Skin 
of larva, 
magnified. 
No. 4.—1, anchor- 
process of larva of G. 
destructor ; 2, of G. 
tritici (magnified). 
