2i6 The Scottish Naturalist. 



usual colour. The parts of the flower become slightly thickened 

 and fleshy, and remain abortive, at least in function. The larvae, 

 yellow or orange in colour, live between them ; and one finds 

 cocoons in the galls occasionally. I have these galls from Bourtie 

 in Aberdeenshire, found in the end of August 1883. The galls 

 on V. Serpyllifolia are rather common near Aberdeen. 

 PEDICULARIS SYLVATICA L. :— 



Galls of mites (P/iytoptns sp.) sometimes are very numerous 

 towards the tips of the shoots ; in some plants distorting almost 

 every leaf on at least the upper half of the stem, in others being 

 confined to only a few of the upper leaves, rarely occurring on 

 only a single leaf. Not rarely the sepals also are attacked, but 

 without marked injury to the development of the flower. Plants 

 when severely attacked become very much changed in appearance. 

 The affected parts are of a dull purple-red or brown-red, somewhat 

 thickened and fleshy, revolute, and generally more or less covered 

 with grey hairs ; and they may also be more or less stunted in 

 size. On transverse section the mesophyll is found to be but 

 little changed ; but the epiderms are loosened from it, and the 

 cells exposed to light are filled with coloured cell-sap, usually 

 purplish-red. From the epiderm cells hairs grow out, generally 

 simple, consisting of a row of cylindrical cells, the last cell of the 

 row being bluntly rounded. There may be up to 15 cells in each 

 hair. The hairs are often a little twisted, owing to slight irregu- 

 larities in the form of the cells ; occasionally they arise so close 

 together as to seem to fork at the base. They are pale or coloured 

 according to the exposure they undergo to light. The mites live 

 in small numbers among them. I met with these galls in con- 

 siderable numbers in the end of June on Scotston Moor, near 

 Aberdeen, this year. Similar galls have been described by Dr. 

 Thomas as occurring on P. palustris in Thuringia. 

 RUMEX ACETOSELLA L. :— 



Flowers galled by Cecidomyia Ramicis H. Loew. The buds 

 become considerably swollen and rather flesh)', are orange-red in 

 colour in most cases, and remain closed. The sexual organs 

 abort ; and one or more orange larvae, or white cocoons may be 

 found in each flower-bud. Many flowers are attacked usually on 

 a plant; and the galls in 1883 were extremely abundant near 

 Aberdeen, though, owing to their small size, one is apt to overlook 

 them. The midges are very easily reared from them. This insect 

 is included in Walker's " Insecia Britannica" III., p. 100. 



(To be continued.) 



