VOL. II. | Blastophaga Prenes. II5 
vated figs. Soon the Blastophaga hatches out, and, seeking for 
new figs in which to lay its eggs, enters the female fig, and in 
so doing conveys the pollen from the male to the female flow- 
er, which causes the latter to develop seed and produce perfect 
fruit. 
The insects just received were sent directly to Mr. James Shinn 
from Lokia, in Smyrna, by Mr. J. Bliss, a missionary. The little 
box containing a dozen caprifigs, of the size of a very small walnut, 
left Smyrna the 2d day of July. They must have been picked at 
least two or three days previously. The box arrived in New York 
the 18th of July, and the 25th of July in San Francisco. The next 
day Mr. Shinn called on me and I at once started for Niles. The 
largest caprifig tree in the State grows there. It was imported from 
Smyrna some ten years ago by the San Francisco Bulletin Co., and 
has borne fruit for years. Upon opening the box of caprifigs I 
found that thousands of Blastophagas had already hatched, the 
greater number were dead, of course, but many were alive and 
lively, and some were just hatching out. I cut the figs open in 
order to assist the insects in their exit. This I found was very 
necessary, as the figs had been somewhat compressed and it had 
become impossible for them to escape. One-or two figs which 
had not been injured showed a small round puncture in the eye, 
through which the Blastophaga were escaping. A great many had 
not hatched. The box had been suspended in the caprifig tree by 
Mr. Shinn already several hours before my arrival and many Blas- 
tophagas had escaped. That they already were hunting for new 
quarters was evident, as in opening several young Smyrna figs in 
adjoining trees I found that the insects had already entered them. 
From our present experience it is safe to say that the importation 
of Blastophaga into California is easy, or not by far so difficult as we 
first had imagined. In twenty-five days from Smyrna the capri- 
fig reached us safely, and during that time numerous galls _re- 
mained unhatched. ‘ 
Blastophaga psenes is about a line long and looks much like a 
slender ant with wings. The caprifig is, when dried without pres- 
sure, less than an inch in diameter, and the mouth is more promi- 
‘nent and open than in cultivated figs. 
