296 The Scottish Naturalist. 



When the bold little merlin, and the sparrow-hawk bright, 

 Hunted down the wild wood-pigeon, in swift whirring flight ; 

 And the owl lurked secure in the ivy-clad tower, 

 Sailing forth in the night destructive mice to devour ; 

 When the cunning fox and wild-cat would stealthily creep 

 Through the brambles and braken, on some braxied old sheep ; 

 When each one played his part in their Maker's great plan, 

 Dealing forth wisdom, and comfort, and pleasure to man. 



Where are they all now ? Gone — some of them perhaps for 

 ever ! Their dry bones and torn skins hang in the " keeper's 

 museum," and mutely ask those who look upon them (how few, 

 alas ! there be that pay attention to, or even comprehend, the 

 silent appeal !) — " Oh, why have you prevented us from doing 

 our appointed work ? It would all have resulted in benefiting 

 you in the end !" To this appeal we answer, " May those who 

 have the power, learn wisdom while yet there is time !" 



Aberdeen, May, 1874. 



MEMOIBS ON SCOTTISH TENTHREDINID51. 

 By P. CAMERON, Jun. 



VI.-NEMATUS VOLLENHOVENI Sp. n. 



THE subject of the present Memoir belongs to a perplexing 

 group of saw-flies, which closely resemble each other in 

 their larval and perfect states. It has been compared with the 

 descriptions of the species of similar habits described by Hartig, 

 Brischke, v. Vollenhoven, and Thomson, and it does not quad- 

 rate with any of them ; and such being the case, I think it as 

 well to describe it. I have much pleasure in naming it after my 

 friendly Dutch correspondent, who has done so much to eluci- 

 date the life-histories of the saw-flies of Holland. 



The galls in their general fonn resemble a cherry ; the skin 

 is smooth and glittering ; the ground-colour green, or yellowish- 

 green, with, but often without, bright reddish cheeks ; and they 

 are sometimes covered with a number of elevations or tubercles, 

 mostly yellowish, which give those so adorned a remarkable 

 resemblance to a strawberry. The cavity in the centre is con- 

 siderable, the walls are rather thin. Some galls are of an elon- 

 gated oblong shape. They project from the underside of the 

 leaves, and also slightly through the upper surface. The num- 

 ber on a single leaf varies from one to six ; and they are always 



