CYNIPS. 71 



branch, which they surround about equally on all sides. The galls proper originate 

 from the twig ; they are woody in texture, much longer than broad, being more than 

 4 millim. long and only about 1 millim. broad ; they stand out from either side of the 

 twig ; each is covered by a mass of white, soft, woolly hair, which may be 10 millim. 

 long. As the galls are closely pressed together they form, from the length and thick- 

 ness of the woolly covering, a large ball-like mass of white wool, which must be a 

 conspicuous object on the twig, and from being delicately tinted with pink must be 

 very pretty. All the specimens I have were pulled when very young, and hence it is 

 impossible to make out any thing of the structure of the inner galls. 



The gall is very like that of Cynips seminator, Fitch, and may, indeed, be made by 

 that species. 



4. Cynips guatemalensis. (Tab. IV. figg. 7, 7«, gall.) 

 Hab. Guatemala, San Geronimo {Champion). 



The gall is found on the lower side of the leaves of an Ilex oak. It is placed on the 

 mid-rib, usually towards the centre of leaf ; it is flat on the lower side, but dome-shaped 

 above, and is wider than high. The centre is hard and woody, and the fibres radiate 

 from the centre towards the edge ; the larval chambers are situated along the edge, 

 there being none in the centre. Outside the woody central gall is a covering of woolly 

 hairs, white internally, but reddish brown on the outer side. An average-sized gall 

 measures for the gall proper 7 lines in breadth and 5 lines in height, while the woolly 

 outer covering is nearly 3 lines. The galls are usually in pairs ; but single specimens 

 are also found, and in one instance there were four specimens on a single leaf; these 

 were much smaller than usual. 



Dr. Karsch* describes three galls on oak (Quercus benthami, Dec.) from Mexico 

 which are in all probability formed by species of Cynipidse, but no names are given to 

 them, namely: — 



1. A round gall on the leaf-stalk close to leaf, dark red externally and velvet-like in 

 texture. The thin-walled shell encloses an inner gall in the centre, and from this 

 inner gall fibres radiate to the circumference, thus keeping it in position. It has a 

 diameter of 26 cm. (1. c. t. vii. f. 13). 



2. A small, smooth, shining, yellowish, roundish gall of 14 millim. diameter on the leaf. 



3. A gall like the first, but larger, being 4 cm. in diameter and outwardly smooth, 

 yellowish and warty in texture (I. c. t. vii. f. 14 a-c). 



Subfam. INQVILIN^l. 



This group consists of the species which lay their eggs in the galls raised by other 

 Cynipidee, and live in them at the expense of the legitimate owner. They are vegetable 



* I. c. p. 303. 



