48 Observations 07i Cympidae. 



but brown later; these then loosen and fall off. At 

 the base of the cone there is a small inner gall of an 

 elongated oval form, which at maturity becomes detached 

 and falls to the ground. At first this inner gall is firmly 

 adherent to the bud-axis, but in August this adhesion 

 gives way owing to the contraction of the base, by which 

 the scales are compressed more tightly together until 

 they finally thrust the inner gall completely out. In 

 this state the gall is of a yellowish green colour, and 

 still of a soft consistence. The period of full maturity 

 is reached on the ground, when the whole gall becomes 

 dark, very firm, and hard, affording the larva ample 

 protection against the influence of the weather. It is 

 to be noted that galls sometimes remain concealed 

 among the scales of the outer gall. (Fig. 10.) In 

 many cases in a well developed outer gall, the inner 

 gall may turn out to be small, round and rudimentary. 

 These galls are found to contain one or more inquiline 

 larvae, lying in separate loculi, and it is through their 

 influence that normal development has been stopped 

 and perverted. 



Rearing the Fly. Although the gall is very common 

 it is difficult to rear the fly successfully, for the larval 

 state is very prolonged, and it is not easy to maintain 

 the natural conditions of life during that period. The 

 wintering must take place in the open air. The larva 

 lies dormant as long as \}cv2X oi Aphilotrix collaris ; I only 

 obtained the flies in April 1878 from the galls collected 

 in August 1876, and the flies of some galls did not 

 emerge until the third year. If the galls after being 

 collected are kept in a room, the metamorphosis of the 



