8 Annals Entomological Society of America  [Vol. VII, 
Parasitic and Inquiline Life as shown by Breeding Experiments. 
The breeding experiments were of a twofold character. 
First, galls were placed in cages, and the species inhabiting 
them bred out. Second, larva were studied individually in 
order to obtain larval characters, and then bred out and thereby 
related to the adults. 
I. Leaves bearing galls were gathered, separated from the 
grass and other leaves, then placed in cardboard boxes at one 
end of which a test-tube was inserted. In these tubes the 
insects gathered, and were easily collected. The galls were 
divided into two classes—those gathered when the leaves were 
falling from the tree, and those subjected to snow, frost, and 
general winter conditions for one and two months respect- 
ively. The leaves were moistened once a week in order to keep 
the galls from drying up, and thus preventing the adults from 
emerging. The parasites appeared first, but the inquilines did 
not emerge until the last of February. 
The parasites, of which eight different species were obtained, 
belonged to the family Chalcidide, and were all known to be 
parasites in the oak galls. The inquilines belonged to the 
Cynipide, genus Synergus. The following table will give the 
various species, and the number of each obtained. 
TABLE I. 
Decatoma flava (Ashmead) 600 specimens 
querci-lana-dorsalis (Fitch) 1 specimen 
4 varians (Walsh) 30 specimens 
Eurytoma studiosa (Say) 75 
. auriceps (Walsh) 30 i 
Ormyrus ventricosus (Ashmead) 150 “ 
Syntomaspis sp. 15 S 
Tetrastichus sp. 10 4 
Synergus erinacei (Bass. ) 70 is 
II. The larve were removed from the galls, and studied, 
and the larval characters determined. These specimens were 
bred out in order to connect with the adult form. The method 
employed was to note and tabulate such characters as the form 
of the mandibles, the arrangement and size of the sete, and the 
general larval form of a large number of specimens. Each 
individual was then placed separately in a four dram vial which 
was sealed and set in a dark place. Four species were bred 
through to the adult. Both from the study of the larva in the 
