1913] CURRENT LITERATURE 345 
flowers. On other trees of the same species only carpellate flowers are found 
bos the ines S although in the latter cases rudiments of stamens 
etimes r. Pollination is effected by means of a new species of 
Bla “rlatigns “Be nota Baker), which in its appearance and behavior presents 
iking differences from the published accounts of the pollination of the fig. 
pon gall-bearing trees of Ficus nota, the production and maturing of 
inflorescences is almost continuous, and the ‘broods of the gall-producing 
Blastophaga constantly overlap one another, thus failing to show the definite 
A short time before the opening of the staminate flowers in the gall-fig or 
caprifig, the wingless males of Blastophaga emerge from some of the galls 
within the inflorescence. These males immediately begin gnawing holes into 
other galls within the same inflorescence, deserting these holes at once when 
they dre found to contain insécts other than the females of Blastophaga, and 
copulating with the females when they are present. After copulation the male 
does not enlarge the opening, thus assisting the female to escape from the gall 
as has been stated in other descriptions, but it proceeds to gnaw openings into 
other galls which may or may not contain females of. Blastophaga. Most of 
the males die soon after copulation with one or a few females. The.females 
gnaw their way out of the galls which inclose them. The interior of an 
inflorescence soon becomes an active mass of winged females of Blastophaga, 
and of insects of several other genera which mature within the gall at the same 
time. The stamens mature at this time and dehisce naturally (not cut open 
by the male Blastophaga as described for other species of Ficus), and the bodies 
of the females become dusted with pollen. The scales which have kept the 
inflorescence closed against the escape of the insects up to this time now wither 
and the females escape. Some of these females fly to younger inflorescences 
upon the same tree or upon similar gall-bearing trees and enter the inflores- 
cences. In the young gall-forming inflorescences the carpels are of such form 
that the insect can insert the ovipositor into the funnel-shaped stigma and 
place the egg within the ovary of the carpel. When this has been done the 
conditions are supplied for the development of new galls. But when these’ 
females fly to trees upon which are the inflorescences which produce ripened 
figs, the story is different. . In the inflorescences of these trees the styles and 
stigmas are of such form that the insects cannot place their eggs within the 
ovary, and the females run about within the inflorescence, finally dying with- 
out having placed ‘their eggs within the ovaries of the flowers... But meantime, 
as they have moved about within the inflorescence the insects have placed 
upon the stigmas the pollen which they brought from the gall figs or caprifigs. 
Fertilization, seed formation, and. ripening of the figs follow. 
-. Baker:finds not only this new species of Blastophaga, but one new genus 
and five new species of parasitic insects accompanying Blastophaga in infesting 
the infloréscences' of Ficus'nota:—O. W; CALDWELL.” . 
