CHAPTER IX 



STUDIES ON GALLS 



BEIJERINCK'S first publication was a short paper on the ovipositor 

 of a gall-wasp, Aphilothrix Radicis Fabr. '). In handing to the writer 

 copies of his first publications BEIJERINCK did not mention his 

 firstling 2 ), and it appears that he found it of minor importance. In 

 consulting the publication one admires the exactness and lucidity of 

 the descriptions and the ability with which a beginner in the study of 

 natural sciences exposes his observations and hypothetical suppositi- 

 ons. 



The publication is for the greater part of a morphological character, 

 but it contains also remarks on the behaviour of the insect during the 

 act of ovipositing from which it appears that BEIJERINCK already at 

 that time was puzzled by the problems that some years later he solved 

 in such a splendid manner. 



Soon afterwards a second publication *) appeared in the "Botani- 

 sche Zeitung" in 1877; it deals with the plant-galls themselves. It is 

 to be considered as a preliminary communication to his doctorate 

 thesis. 



In this publication BEIJERINCK set himself the task to draft a 

 system of the Arthropoda-galls, choosing especially the development 

 of these galls in the plant organs as basis for their classification. This is 

 not the place to consider whether this classification is still of value; 

 suffice it to state that later works on plant-galls have not made use of 

 it. 



It is important, however, for an appreciation of the development 

 of BEIJERINCK'S ideas to realize that his studies required him to sift the 

 literature on plant-teratology carefully. The hiatus appearing were 

 supplemented by his own observations, and original remarks are to be 

 found which sometimes go beyond the scope of the publication. 



The doctorate thesis which appeared in 1877 covers a larger field. It 

 is entitled: "Bijdrage tot de Morphologic der Plantegallen" (Con- 

 tribution to the Morphology of Plant-galls) 4 ). Here too, the main 

 point lies in the paragraphs dealing with the classification. BEIJE- 

 RINCK observes that there is no "blood relationship" between plant- 



!) Over de legboor van Aphilothrix Radicis Fabr., Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 

 20, 186-198, 1876-77 (Verzamelde Geschriften 6, 49-55). 



-) This may explain why the paper is not to be found in Part 1 of BEIJERINCK'S 

 "Collected Papers". 



3) Botanische Zsitung 35, 17-22 and 33-38, 1877 (Verzamelde Geschriften 1, 1-7). 



4 ) Academisch Proefschrift., Utrecht 1877 (Verzamelde Geschriften 1, 8-80). 



