H. F. BASSETT. 331 



had for years furnished these galls in abundance, I found a species 

 of Neuroterus laying eggs in the buds of this tree. Busy capturing 

 specimens from the low branches of the tree it was sometime before 

 I discovered that my clothing was covered with flies of the same 

 species. Having but a few minutes left for collecting, I was only 

 able to collect some thirty individuals from the buds and my cloth 

 ing. I left unwillingly, to return in the afternoon. By afternoon 

 the weather had turned cold and not an insect of any kind could be 

 found. 



I made visits later and on more favorable days, but no flies were 

 seen. On one of these visits I took up a quantity of sand and leaf- 

 mould under the tree, and sifting it carefully found many empty 

 galls and two that contained perfect living gall-flies. One of these 

 I destroyed in opening, the other proved to be identical with those 

 captured a few days before, and from it the above description is, for 

 the most part, drawn. 



In the latter part of May and the beginning of June the young 

 galls were nearly full grown and as abundant as ever before. At 

 this time I had in my breeding boxes, in damp earth, galls of this 

 sort gathered the Autumn before, and from them were appearing 

 parasites in considerable numbers. Visiting the tree at this time I 

 found from one to five of these flies actively at work among the 

 umbilicus galls. I cannot say that I actually saw them stinging 

 the galls, but we may reasonably suppose they were doing so, and it 

 is easy to understand why so few gall-flies are so produced from the 

 almost couutless number of galls of this and some other species. I 

 have seen parasitic hymenoptera stinging, but not often. My favor- 

 ite oak has recently been cut down and a railroad siding covers the 

 stump, but I hope to find another as good on which to follow up my 

 investigations. 



Neuroterus tectus n. sp. 



I found, April 29, 1874, eight or ten gall-flies belonging to the 

 genus Neuroterus ovipositing in the buds of a low spreading bush 

 of Q. prinoides. 



The description is as follows: 



Head black. Antenna? thirteen jointed, first and second short, third equal to 

 the first two, fourth two-thirds as long as the third, the following short, sub- 

 equal to the thirteenth which is very short. Thorax black and smooth ; parapsi- 

 des none. Scutellum small, rounded, polished and separated from the meso- 

 thorax by a broad, arcuate groove. Abdomen black, small, in outline an equi- 



TRANS. AM. KNT. SOC. XXVI. JULY 1900 



