Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1845-05-01

sian soldiers, is question not yet settled. AT
The time of The discussion which led to the pro-
hl0liory order, an extensive inquiry in Europe
resulted in the conclusion that the insect was
wholly unknown there. Yet. in the year 1884,
1t was found existing in several places in south
ern Europe, and injurng the wheat in the same
manner as in this country. This important dis
covery was made by my friend Mr.. James D.
Dana who had previously been engaged with
me in the examination of the Hessian fly and
was we'll qualified TO decide upon the case
American Journal of Sciences, xii, 1887 More.
over, we have an account from the vicinity of
Geneva, in Switzerland, reported by Duhamel,
OF an insect destroying the wheat there as long
since as 1882, in the manner of the Hessan fy;
and an account, in 1923, by Raddi, of wha, is
probably the same insect, in various places in
Italy. No traces have been detected of any in.
sec. Of the habits of the Hessian Gy, in our
country, earlier than The year l776 and if this
insect is a native of North America, wha, plant
v,
imported On the other hand we have no
proof that the Hessian fly was ever found in
Germany; and it is certain that if the wheat
were reaped in the ordinary manner, nearly all
the available insects would be left in the Stub
BILE /; and further, the straw alleged TO have been
brough. by The Hessians must have been that
which ripened in the summer Of 1875, and from
which most Of the insects which it contained
would have escaped before August, 1876 On
question of such uncertainty, no one need
quarrel with anoher's opinion.
The first scientific description of the Hes
sian fly was published In the Journal of the
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia,
for July, 1917, (No. 3, i, 45,) by the late dis
,nguished entomologis,, Thomas Say. He
there gives it the systematic name of The ceci-
domyia destructor and to this description adds
a few remarks relative 10 is habits, and fur
nshes, also an account Of another insect, by
which The fly is often destroyed. Without 60
ing into minute and tedious technical descrip-
tion, the following account is offered, as proba-
bly, sufficient 10 enable an observer to identify
the insectin its various transformations The
Hesslan fly is lwo-winged insect, with head
depressed; The palpi Tor mouth feeders) are
three or four joinled--lhe basal one being the
smallest; anienEa are about half as long as the
body. and consist each of from IA TO II oval
joints, besides the basal joint which appears
double; the wings are large, hairy, rounded al
the tip, and have each two or three Longitudinal
nervures the abdomen is of tawny red, and
furnished. lrregularly, with many black hairs
consists of seven rings aud segemen,s, besides
the oviposi;or, which is of Two sides. and of a
rose-red color; the ovposi,or, when extended
to the utmost is about one-hird as long as the
abdomen the length Of body, from The front oi
the head 10 the end Of the abdomen, abou, one
eighth of an inch; the legs are long and sIen.
der, pale red and covered sparseiy with dark
hair. The male is equal in size to the female
but generally less black, with antenne some
what longer, and abou, ihree-fourhs the length
Of the body. The joints Of the anrenne are
globular, and slightly separated from each other
Several other species Of the genus cecidomyaa,
or one closely allied to it, are common i'll this
region. But the Hessian fly is the largest aud
darke.r of our species, with which | am ac-
quain'ed.
The eggs are laid in the long creases or fur
rows Of the upper surface of the leaves Il. e.
the blade or s,rap-shaped pari) of the young
wheat plant While deposi,ng her eggs, the
insect stands with her head towards The polar
or extremity OF the leaf, aud atvarious distances
between the point and where the leaf joins and
surrounds the stalk The number found on a
single leaf varies from single egg up 10 thirty
or even more The egg is about ffieIh OF an
inch long. cylindrical, rounded at The ends glossy
and translucent, OF pale red color, becoming, IN
fe W hours, irregularly sPoned with deeper red
Between lis exclusion and lis hatehng ,hesered
| spots are continually charging 10 number, size