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7 
may come in the “flax-seed” state in straw imported 
from any of the countries troubled by this pest; it may 
be received from Canada, or from the United States, or 
from the South of Europe, Austria, Hungary, or Russia. 
In respect to its importation in straw, it may come in 
straw-cargoes, or in straw used as packing material. 
Where this straw is sent forward to farms as it is, or as 
slightly-used litter, or as “long” manure, quite a 
sufficiently large proportion of the flies in the flax-seeds 
are likely to develop to cause mischief such as we have 
seen in the past season. On the first farm on which 
the attack was observed near Hertford, I found on 
enquiry that London manure had been used of mixed 
kind, but mainly cow and horse manure in “ very long ” 
condition. 
Another way in which it is at least possible that the 
“ flax-seeds ” may be transmitted is in wheat or barley 
from infested countries. This method of transmission 
is stated not to be at all likely, because the sheathing- 
leaf enfolds the wheat or barley stem so tightly just 
above the joint where the pupae lie that it is considered 
they would not fall out in the process of threshing. But 
on investigation of the attacked straw, both in the field 
and after being stored away, I found it very liable to 
break at the bend, and thus expose the contained “ flax¬ 
seeds ”; and on October 22nd I received information 
from Mr. Palmer, of Revell’s Hall, that after threshing 
some of his infested barley he examined the small seeds 
and dust sifted out of the threshed corn which fell 
beneath the machine, and in this he found “ flax-seeds ” 
to the amount of fifteen in a handful of siftings. Speci¬ 
mens of these were forwarded to me. 
No pupae were found in chaff or grain. This matter 
will be further investigated by observations from other 
farms, and all information is solicited on the point, as it 
is of enormous importance. 
In cleaning seeds of the fox-tail grass from those in¬ 
fested by Cecidomyia of another species, it is found the 
infested seed, being lightest, falls at a separate spot; 
