1807.J 183 
have invariably produced the same sex, that of female. All endeavour 
to discover galls, differing in form, and producing male flies, has proved 
ineffectual on my own part, and I am not aware of any Entomologist 
having been more fortunate. The species which I have selected for 
investigation have been Oynips Kollari, O. radicis, C.folii, and C. aptera ; 
all plentiful in my own neighbourhood, and of each of which I have bred 
some thousands of specimens. Now, supposing it possible that the males 
of these really exist, and that in each species that sex inhabits a differently 
formed gall, and that to be looked for in a different situation, to the 
gall producing the female (as is supposed to be the case in the Cynips 
confluens, and by analogy in the case of G. Kollari, C.folii, &c.), where 
are we to look for the male galls in the case of G, aptera ? an under- 
ground species, and also in the case of G. radicis, the gall of which is 
the well known woody excrescence found at the root of the oak ? 
Startling as the announcement really was in the first instance, it still 
appears that we have a want of evidence to prove that a male in the 
genus Gynips has any positive existence. In the paper to which I have 
referred at the commencement of these observations, some good practi- 
cal instructions ty^ given as to the modus operandi most desirable in 
pursuing the investigation of this most interesting subject ; in the ma- 
jority of cases the method prescribed will prove successful ; but there 
are a vast number of galls that require to be kept moist, particularly 
such as are found on leaves of plants, as well as others found on their 
roots ; these require to be kept in pots, partly filled with earth ; the 
common oak-spangle, as it is familiarly called, cannot be brought to 
produce its inhabitant without this process being adopted, and there 
are innumerable other species to which this method must be applied. 
The study of galls and their inhabitants has of late years been 
assiduously investigated by more than one Entomologist in this country, 
but the result of their labours will probably not be made known until 
we have some portion of Mr. Armistead's work, when probably much 
interesting information will be placed before ua. 
British Museum. 
A list of captures of Lepidoptera in 1866 on the eastern extremity of the 
Cotsivolds. — In this list a noto is added when the species was, by any means, pro- 
cured from other places. 
January 1st. — H. rupicapraria, bred ; this insect is always out here in the last 
week in December. 
February 2nd, — P. pilosaria, bred ; the pupae very common at the roots of 
elm. 6th. II. progemmaria, bred ; most abundant on elm trunks after dark. 24th. 
A. prndromaria. 
