150 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



the cellular substance. If this rule be neglected, there is no 

 chance of any of the tenants being reared. The galls may be 

 kept either in wide-mouthed glass bottles, or in jam-pots covered 

 with glass (the top of the pot having been ground down so as to 

 allow the glass to fit closely) ; great care must be taken to see, 

 before placing the galls in the pots, that all superfluous moisture 

 has evaporated, or otherwise they will turn mouldy; but, on the 

 other hand, if they be kept too dry the creatures will perish, so 

 that between the one extreme and the other it is not easy to hit 

 the happy medium. With very succulent galls, it is necessary 

 to expose them to the air of a room before placing them in the 

 breeding jar, or otherwise they are sure to turn mouldy, and 

 even after they have been put into the receptacle it is as well to 

 take off its lid now and again. 



In rearing gallflies I have succeeded well by following the plan 

 here described : I take a pickle bottle, put the galls at the bottom, 

 securing them there by some contrivance, cover the mouth with 

 a piece of muslin, and then place the bottle mouth downwards in 

 earth, which is moistened regularly; by this method I reared 

 Neurotenis lenticularis from galls plucked in July long before 

 they were developed. Or this plan may be reversed by placing 

 mould at the bottom and the galls at the top, the mould being 

 moistened occasionally. It may be added, however, that the 

 galls of Neurotenis are found in abundance developed beneath 

 oaks in the spring, and they need not be collected till then. 



In breeding from galls one word of caution is required; it is 

 that the greatest care must be taken that every gall is kept in a 

 distinct bottle, and that all unnecessary leaves, twigs, etc., be re- 

 moved, or confusion is certain to arise, not only among the gall- 

 makers themselves, but erroneous observations may be made on 

 the innumerable parasites and inquilines ; for, fortunately or un- 

 fortunately, all galls are infested with them to an astonishing 

 degree, and they form one of the most interesting chapters in the 

 history of the gallmakers. 



The dried galls are best mounted on stiff cardboard, or they 

 may be kept separately in pill boxes. 



There is little to be said about the parasitic Cynipidae, for the 

 very good reason that very little is known about them, and they 

 offer a wide field for the observing naturalist. They seem to be 

 attached mostly to Diptera and Aphidae. 



