164 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. VIII, 
somewhat the shape of a dumb-bell (Fig. 6, Pl. XII). The mites 
go in and out through two openings, located at the ends of the 
berry. These openings are in many cases elevated, and shaped 
like a miniature volcano, measuring about one-sixth of a mil- 
limeter wide at the top. The areas surrounding the openings 
are yellowish, circular in outline, and very much hardened, thus 
probably preventing the tissue from growing around the 
opening by which the mites go back and forth. 
Just how this area became hardened, and the various stages 
leading up to the deformed berry were unknown. At flowering 
time, however, on May 27, the mites were found in the begin- 
ning stages of their work, and the various steps leading up to 
the deformed berry were traced. Some remarkable changes 
were found and the interesting feature learned was that the 
outer hardened area was ovule tissue, and the opening in the 
center, the stigmal opening of the ovule. In the flower stage, 
two or three upright ovules are visible (Fig. 1, Pl. XII) sur- 
rounded by somewhat thickened scales. A little later, the 
scales become fleshy and grow over the ovules (Fig. 3, Pl. XII) 
which seem to sink into the berry after fertilization takes place. 
If attacked by a mite at this time, the ovules do not sink into 
the berry, but broaden out and remain on top, the scales growing 
around them (Fig. 4, Pl. XII, a). The opening of the ovule, 
then, becomes the opening by which the mites pass back and 
forth, while the body of the ovule becomes the hardened portion 
surrounding the opening. 
A cross-section of a young, deformed berry about a week 
old already shows the openings by which the mites pass back 
and forth to be formed from the old micropyle (Fig. 5, Pl. XII). 
From this opening, a narrow path leads down into the berry, 
where it enlarges into a circular burrow. Here one or two 
reddish mites and from two to ten greenish-white eggs are to 
befound. After a mite has entered a berry, it becomes deformed 
and fleshy, the seeds failing to develop. It is probable that the 
fleshy portion of the deformed berries is made up of more ovule 
tissue than the normal berries. In this spongy portion, the two 
phytophagus chalcids are found feeding (Fig. 5, a and b, PI. 
XVIII), as well as the mites. The chalcids may, therefore, be 
considered to be inquilines, since they live in the abode of the 
mite. 
