MISCELLAIfEA. 141 



them " had the terminal nipple attributed to the gall of spongijica 

 "by Osten Sacken, some were smoothly spherical as the gall of 

 " aciculata is described by the same author, many had several nipples 

 " scattered irregularly over their surface, and two or three had as 

 "many as 12 or 14," During the month of June, 26 of these 

 galls, and what is very interesting, some of all types, produced 

 images 6 $ and 20 ^ all of C. spongifica. After the 18th June, no 

 more w^ere produced until October, when from 50 to 60 specimens 

 made their appearance, all $ and all belonging to the form known as 

 C. aciculata. 



Mr. Walsh supposes that 0. q^. aciculata, O.S. is a dimorphous 

 form of Q. q. spo'ngijica, O.S., that it occurs exclusively in the ? sex 

 and exclusively on Q. tinctoria, and emerges from the last of September 

 to the middle of November, and many of them not till the folio wiDg 

 Spring, from galls that commenced their growth in the preceding 

 May, which are undistinguishable from those which produce G, q. 

 spongifica, the same kinds of gall from the same lot of trees, gathered 

 at the same time, producing spongifica ^^ $ in June and aciculata % 

 in October and November, and nothing whatever but a solitary 

 parasite in the intervening period. 



We cannot but think that Mr. Walsh has been a little hasty in 

 this conclusion. It is quite possible that two species may produce 

 very similar galls. 



Nevertheless, the conditions of life among the CynipidsB are so 

 abnormal and so interesting, that we hail with pleasure every 

 attempt to penetrate the mystery by which they are surrounded. 



J. L. 



2. Eettjen" op Dr. E,. Spruce — the Botanical Traveller. 



We extract from the deader of the 12th of November last, 

 the following account of the South-American Exploitations of 

 Eichard Spruce, who has lately returned to this country after many 

 years absence. 



" A short time ago there returned amongst us, after an absence of 

 fifteen years, and much broken in health, a traveller whose explora- 

 tions in South America are more extensive and of greater scientific 

 value than any that have of late years been recorded. Their value 

 will doubtless be as fully appreciated by the public at large when 



