The Scottish Naturalist. n 



east from here ; but the black-cap appears to be an exception amongst our 

 migratory birds in remaining late, as I once shot a male at Ednam on the 25th 

 December, 1865. — Andrew Brotherston, Kelso 



Note on the presence of five toes on each, leg of a Black -headed G- 11 

 ( ' Larus ridibundus). — Some weeks ago I was shown the newly removed skin of 

 a young black-headed gull shot on the Links of Old Aberdeen on 24th August, 

 by Mr. Angus, on each leg of which there was a supernumerary toe. The 

 toes were situated on the inner side of the normal tarsal bone, being 

 attached to the lower surface of a process of bone on the inner side of the 

 lower end of the tibia. In eaeh leg there is an additional tarsal bone developed. 

 The toe on the right leg is thicker and longer than that on the left ; its claw 

 reaches nearly to the point of the inner of the true toes ; it consists of a tarsal 

 bone occupying about half its length, and bent and twisted backwards, and 

 four phalanges. It is loosely connected by skin to the leg as far as the 

 lower end of its tarsus ; the phalanges are free, and there is a narrow web 

 running to the base of its claw on the outer side, and a broad one on the inner. 

 The toe on the left leg reaches only as far as the lower end of the normal 

 tarsus, with which it is parallel, and with which it is connected by skin as far as 

 the end of its tarsal bone. It has three phalanges, which are free and un- 

 webbed, To my regret I did not get an opportunity of dissecting the legs of the 

 bird to ascertain if there were any peculiarity among the muscles corresponding 

 with the abnormal development of toes. — J. W. H. Traill, Old Aberdeen. 



MEMOIRS ON SCOTTISH TE NTH RE DI NI DjE. 



By P. CAMERON, Jun. 



No. I— NEMATUS GALLICOLA. 



Nematus gallicola Westwood and Stephens ; Illust. Brit. 

 Ent., Mandibulata, Vol vii. 36 (1835). 



Nematus Vallisnieri Hartig ; die Familieti der Blattivespen 



und Holzwespen, 205 (1837). 



\T ematus gallicola is the commonest species of gall- 

 *" making Tenthredinidiz in this country, and may be found 



in almost any locality where the larger willows abound, on the 

 leaves of which its bright red galls must have been noticed by 

 every observer of natural objects. 



The galls have been found on the following willows : — 

 Salix fragilis L. The galls are bean-shaped, the skin covered 

 with small irregular projections, and hairless. They vary from 

 ^ to ^-inch in length, jfa to ^-inch in breadth, and about 

 the same in depth. They project, in about equal proportions, 

 through both sides of the leaves, and are always placed on the 



