DESCRIPTIONS OF OAK-GALLS. 1*23 



it is green, with a carmine margin, or wholly of a deep red 

 colour; it is almost smooth (slightly wrinkled), and on the 

 upper side there are indistinct radiations from the centre to 

 the circumference ; it is without the stellated hairs, which are 

 so conspicuous on Lenliciilaris. Again, in shape, while 

 Leuticularis is highest in the centre, and gradually flattened 

 towards the periphery, Fumipennis is most distinctly raised 

 at the outer edge, and the gall is consequently cupulate, with 

 the exception of a small papilla in the centre ; superficially 

 Fumipennis is smaller than Leuticularis. Lceviusculus, the 

 third species, is intermediate between the two, having the 

 form and size of Fumipennis^ but is rather thicker than that 

 species, having in shape a great resemblance to a plain peari 

 shirt-button, in miniature, with a distinct wart in the centre, 

 and the colour and coloralional pattern of Leniicularis, with 

 the exception that it is less pubescent, and the stellated hairs 

 are very distinctly shorter and much less conspicuous than in 

 that species. (The accompanying figures, which exhibit the 

 three galls in section, will perhaps give a more distinct idea 

 of their respective forms.) Leniicularis galls are gregarious, 



0:--^ 



1. N. leniicularis. 2. N. laeviusculus. 3. N. fumipennis. 



whilst Fumipennis and LcBviusciilus are solitary ; hence we 

 never find the latter so crowded, and consequently distorted, as 

 is frequent with the commoner species. I should say that the 

 above remarks refer more particularly to the galls as seen in 

 November, that is just before their decidence. I had hoped 

 here to have included some collected notes on the synonymy 

 of these species, but that may be deferred ; however, 1 may 

 say that from Schlechtendal's descriptions of the galls in the 

 ' Entoraologische Zeilung,' his Fumipennis seems more to 

 accord with Lceviusculus, whilst his Pezizceformis description 

 might well stand for Fumipennis, as understood by me ; 

 e. g., he says of Fumipennis, " mil sehr kurzen brauneu 

 Steruhaaien besetzt," and of Pezizatformis, " flach tnit 



