172 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



much trouble, as the insects may be killed and set quickly, 

 and gummed of an evening or at any leisure time : when nicely 

 set they are fit to be called specimens, and are useful for 

 examiuation, which probably would not be the case were they 

 left to die a natural death, or attempted to be pinned and 

 set out. 



One word of advice and caution : label everything very 

 carefully ; for breeding purposes only use the galls them- 

 selves, — no leaves, no twigs, no anything ; in killing and 

 setting be very careful not to mix specimens and species from 

 different galls. This must all be attended to, in order to solve 

 some of the interesting problems connected with parasitism 

 and galls. 



I have only spoken of the breeding of insects from mature 

 galls, as that is only what should be attempted ; but in 

 special cases I dare say the gall might be kept by preserving 

 the twig or plant in water, as we should a flower, till it comes 

 to maturity and the larvae have a chance of becoming full 

 fed; then detach the gall. I have never attempted to breed 

 insects from immature galls but once, and then in ignorance: 

 it was with the common oak-spangles (Neuroterus lenticu- 

 laris), which I collected in the autumn and winter from the 

 trees, but could never breed the Neuroterus, till last year I 

 collected galls from the ground at the foot of oaks in January 

 and February, and so bred the gall-maker freely; and that is 

 what must be done with this species and Fumipennis ; it 

 does not so much matter with the pretty little Numismatis 

 (silky button-gall). 



Galls should not be thrown away when the emergence of 

 one series of insects is complete, as some will have tenants 

 for a twelvemonth ; the gall-makers, and various inquilines 

 (dwellers in galls) and parasites, having various and separate 

 times of appearance. 



E. A. Fitch. 



Maldon, Essex, July 1, 1875. 



Notes on Oviposit ion. By the Rev. P. H. Jennings. 



(Continued from p. 150.) 

 Selenia lunaria. — A female, taken June 8th, laid one 

 hundred and ten eggs : twenty-eight on the 9th, forty-two on 



