80 



THE NATURALIST. 



of these gall-gnats. Each boss con- 

 tains a single insect, which lives 

 through the winter in its nest of 

 closely fitting leaves. The economy 

 would seem to be as follows. Early 

 in June the parent gnat deposits an 

 egg in the heart of a young and 

 tender yew-bud. This, instead of 

 being developed, gradually assumes 

 the tuft-like appearance I have de- 

 scribed. The egg hatches, and the 

 larva thus has its food and shelter 

 provided. In this tuft it feeds through 

 the autumn and winter. In the 

 succeeding spring it enters on the 

 pupa stage of its existence, gathering 

 intensity of colour as it approaches 

 maturity, and in June it comes forth 

 a beautiful orange-coloured gnat. 

 When Professor Loew, of Posen, 

 brought out, in 1850, his elaborate 

 monograph on the Cecidomyim, the 

 insect was unknown. (" Noch ganz 

 ungewiss ist"). I may just remark 

 that the gnat presents a tolerable 

 appearance, being nearly equal in 

 size to the largest of the willow- 

 gall gnats. The gulls occur, often 

 abundantly, on yew trees near Wood- 

 some Hall. — P. Inchbald, Storthes 

 Hall, June, 1864. 



Helaxing Colenptera. — Can any of 

 the readers of the " Naturalist " 

 inform me of any means of relaxing 



Coleoptera, or of keeping them in 

 a relaxed state for two or three days 

 after killing them. I find that spe- 

 cimens killed by immersion in hot 

 water become quite stiff in a very 

 short time, so that if not set im- 

 mediately it is almost impossible to 

 do so.— W. H. C. 



€%t\'di\\!^t. 



I have the following Insects in 

 good condition, viz. : — N. Lucina, 

 A. Selene, T. fimbria, T. janthina, 

 M. belgiaria,^upi^ oiP.monaclia, and 

 larvae of N. Lucina, and A. Agathina. 

 My wants are C. Hyale, C. Edasa, 

 E. Cassiope, A. cratcegi, A. Galathea, 

 G. cardiii, P. Adonis, L. quercus, A. 

 fiexula, and larvae of most of the 

 Hawk Moths. — Jno. Benn, Junr., 

 Wortley, near Leeds. 



I have larvae of E. lanestris, and 

 L. camelina, also a few p>up£e of 

 E. lichenea, to exchange for larv£e 

 or pujDae of other species. My wants 

 are too numerous to mention, but 

 applicants must please write before 

 sending boxes. — J. Eohner, Upton 

 Vale, Torquay. 



D. carpophagu. — I have upwards 

 of twenty good specimens of D. 

 carpophaga, for which I shall be 

 glad to receive offers of exchange. 

 I shall also be glad to exchange 

 lists with collectors. — J. Gardner, 

 1, Victoria Place, Hartlepool. 



