36 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Before finally concluding this paper I wish to direct the 

 attention of your readers to some caterpillars preserved in the 

 British Museum, and labelled " Larvae of Charagia virescens 

 attacked by a parasitic fungus." These insects are to be found 

 buried in the earth, the fungus growing up out of the ground 

 like a small plant. I have never discovered specimens myself, 

 but have examined several obtained by others ; in all these the 

 parasite grew out of the connecting membrane between the head 

 and prothorax, and projected somewhat forwards ; the larvae 

 are also much shrivelled, and consequently unrecognisable ; but 

 being found invariably in the earth and not in the stems of trees, 

 it seems more probable that they are the subterranean larv£e of 

 one of the other large Hepialid^e than those of the present 

 insect. I have never heard of infested specimens being found 

 alive, or anything at all resembling them ; but as no systematic 

 research has been at present brought to bear on the subject it is 

 impossible to say to what species they belong, especially as the 

 most absurd ideas are entertained by many persons respecting 

 the origin of the fungus, some positively asserting that the 

 caterpillar devours the seed of the " rata " tree {Metrosideros 

 rohiista), and then buries itself, the young tree afterwards grow- 

 ing up out of the larva which it destroys ! 



Karori, Wellington, New Zealand, August 31, 1884. 



A YEAR'S WORK AMONG GALL-GNATS. 

 By Peter Inchbald, F.L.S. 



We learn from Bergenstamm's pamphlet on the Gall-gnats, 

 ' Synopsis Cecidomyidarum,' published in Vienna, in 187f), that 

 606 species, duly named, exist in the world. A very large pro- 

 portion of these Cecidomyidae occur in Europe, and of these 

 75 have been tabulated by Mr. Fitch as having been noticed in 

 Great Britain. I would draw attention to his admirable Synopsis, 

 which appeared in the 'Entomologist,' July, 1880 (vol. xiii., 

 pp. 146-154). Mr. Fitch has taken Bergenstamm's Synopsis as 

 his model, but his own personal experience has given additional 

 interest to his list, and his introductory remarks should be 

 diligently read and studied by every investigator of Cecid-life. 



