Cynips Kollari. 167 



would be enormous. Labourers were exhorted to ' rally 

 round the pig.' The destruction of the oak and the ruin 

 of the wooden walls of England were predicted, and it 

 was stated that ' the mischief has increased so alarmingly 

 that unless some effectual stop can be put to the evil, the 

 landowners of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset and even 

 Gloucester will have to abandon all hope of raising oak 

 timber \' Those who were less easily alarmed pointed out 

 that the galls contained, even when dry, 17 per cent, of 

 tannin, w^hich w^as a third of that contained in the best 

 Aleppo galls, and as they generally grow" within ten feet 

 of the ground, it was only necessary to collect them for 

 ink-making in order to bring about their speedy disappear- 

 ance. As to the injury to the acorn crop, it was shown that 

 the Cynips prefers young trees or scrub, while an oak 

 seldom produces acorns until it is fifty years old ; so that 

 although few acorns were found on galled trees, those were 

 trees on which no acorns were to be expected. 



The gall has now spread steadily over the whole of England 

 and Scotland. In hard w^inters titmice and squirrels destroy 

 large numbers of them, cracking them up and picking out 

 the larvae. 



Inquilines. Synergus Reinhardi, S. melanopus in May and 

 June of second year. S. pallicornis from April to June of 

 second ^'^ear. S. facialis and Ceroptres arator. 



Parasites. Toiymits regius {Devoniensis), Megastigmus 

 stigmaticans, Decatoma ? sp., Macrocentrus marginator. 



Mr. Fitch '^ gives the following parasites : Ormyrits 

 punctiger, 18 June — 29 July; Eiirytoma ?sp., 18 April; 

 Pteromalus tibialis, Callimome ?sp., 28 April — 20 June ; Calli- 

 mome ?sp., 3-17 April ; Entedon ?sp., Eitrytoma rosae, 

 Syiitoinaspis caitdata, Honialiis auratiis, H. coendeus, Odynerus 

 trifascatiis and the bee Prosopis rupestris. 



Many insects pupate in the empty galls ; these include, 

 besides hymenoptera, numerous lepidoptera and beetles. 



■^ Mr. Rich at Entomol. Soc, London, Nov. 6, 1854. Entomol. vol. 

 vi, pp. 275-338 ; vii, p. 245 ; Gardeners Chronicle, 1854, p. 742 ; 

 i855> P- 789 ; i860, p. 72 ; 1862, p. 813. 



^ Entomol. 1879, p. IT3. 



