OF WASHINGTON. 67 



1889, I picked a handful of galls of Cynips quercus-prunus 

 (determined for me by Dr. Riley) from the ground in Covers' 

 Lane, Georgetown, D. C., and placed them in a beaker on my 

 office desk. May 17, 1890, I cut open one of the galls and found 

 six apparently full-grown parasitic larvae and the remains of a 

 larva which they had nearly devoured. I was very doubtful 

 as to my success in rearing these larvae after they had been 

 thus disturbed, but I put them away without covering the 

 hole. May 31 I again examined them and found that all had 

 transformed to white pupae, which on June i had turned to 

 the natural black color, and which were at once recognizable 

 as those of a species of Eurytoma. June 2 another gall was 

 cut open and similar larvae were found not as yet transformed. 

 No more conclusive proof will, I think, be needed as to the 

 parasitism of this species, at least, of this genus. 



Walsh reared from C. quemis-prunus his Eurytoma prum- 

 cola, and I find from Prof. Riley 's notes that in February, 

 1879, he bred a species of Eurytoma from galls of C. q.-prunus 

 collected by Mr. E. A. Schwarz at Hearne, Texas. 



Examination of these latter specimens, which I found in the 

 National Museum collection, shows that the Texas Eurytomas 

 belong to a new species, which may or may not be the same 

 as that found in the District of Columbia. Future rearing of 

 the latter only can determine this point.* 



Prof. Riley stated that the parasitic habit of Eurytoma had 

 been practically proved in his experience long since, and that 

 its being thus conclusively shown in this instance was inter 

 esting. The concensus of observation was so overwhelming 

 that doubt was hardly justified ; the larvae of Chalcids are 

 easily distinguished from those of Cynipids, and he had often 

 had proof that was satisfactory to himself of the fact. He 

 mentioned the much more justifiable doubt of some whether 

 Isosoma orchidearum was truly phytophagic, and described 

 having watched day after day the feeding of the Isosoma 

 larva on the plant tissue. 



Mr. Ashmead said that Eurytoma were frequently reared 

 from Cecidomyiids and that the National Collection was rich 

 in such rearings. 



It was decided to dispense with the July and August meet 

 ings. 



*June 6, 1890. Two of specimens issued to-day, and proved to be 

 Eurytoma prunicola Walsh. L,. O. H. 



