28 FOREST ENTOMOLOGY. 



which it rests and raises itself, swaying about its body. He regarded 

 it as a species of Sarcoptes.'^ ^ 



Here is an account of the first true conception of the family Eri- 

 ophyidse, and the species under consideration is in consequence a most- 

 important one. 



Eriophyes macrochelus (Nal.) 



To all lovers of natural history, no walk is more charming than a 

 South Country lane, with its tall rough hedges and rich flora. The 

 hedges are generally well stocked with the field maple {Acer cam- 

 pestre). The upper surface of th& 

 ■^^^^ leaves of the field maple are often 



MH covered with small galls, and a 



^^^^r^^il^fP, ' /■': j^B careful examination will show that 



^^^B^^^t '.^m^mF^^j^ there are two sorts, — a larger and 

 ^^^^ .iaMBl.^Blfc a smaller variety. The larger — 



which are, as a rule, rather 

 sparsely distributed on the leaves, 

 and generally on the midrib and 

 veins — are the galls of E. macro- 

 chelus. These galls are very vari- 

 able in many ways, both as regards 

 Fig. ii.-iMis on leaves of field ^mpie colour and structure. They may 



(Acer ca>.,pestre) caused by Eriophyes ^^g solitary or gregariouS, single or 

 niacroclieliis. •' o o > n 



coalesced, glabrous or pubescent, 

 and either on the veins or spread over the leaf. They appear 

 quite early in summer, but may be considered fully developed in 

 August. Fig. 27. 



Eriophyes macrorhynchus (Nal.) 

 Phytoptus myriadenm (Murray). 



This is the other species of gall on the field maple, and may easily 

 be recognised from the former species by being smaller in size, and 

 much more crowded on the leaves. It is very abundant in southern 

 England, but not at all common in the north or in Scotland. Fig. 28. 



^ Economic Entomology — Aptera : South Kensington Museum Science Hand- 

 books. 



