DESCRIPTIONS OF OAK-GALLS. 33 



20th, which he says must be either A. cestivalis or a new 

 species. Dr. Giraud examined two hundred specimens of 

 this species, and only found four males. He also bred 

 Atilax pumilus from these galls. Dr. Mayr gives Callbnome 

 regius as a parasite. — E. A. Fitch. 



80. Andricus grossularice, Gir. — This currant-gall, which 

 also occurs on the Turkey oak at the end of May, gives the 

 tree a strange appearance, covered with its great masses. 

 Although not generally common, thousands may sometimes 

 be found on a single tree. From their beautiful red colour, 

 and from their accumulation on a catkin of the oak, it looks 

 from a distance as if the tree were covered with currants. 

 The single gall is inverted pear-shaped, with the thick end 

 towards the flower-stalk, whilst its conical end forms the 

 apex. It is 6 to 7 millimetres long and 5 to 7 thick. 

 It is green at first; this soon becomes red, and finally, when 

 mature, it is reddish brown. Its surface is moderately glossy, 

 sometimes slightly wrinkled, and covered wilh very scattered 

 and very short simple hairs, such as grow on the flower-stalks 

 and on the leaves of the Turkey oak. It is thickly covered 

 with hairs at the apex. In section it exhibits a soft 

 parenchyma. Near the base of the gall there is a yellow, 

 moderately hard, oviform, perpendicularly placed inner gall ; 

 above this there is a moderately wide channel, which extends 

 to the top of the gall. The perianth and anthers are situated 

 at the base of the gall; but anthers may often be found 

 springing from the gall itself, so that the gall may be 

 considered as developed from the base of the flower. When 

 it happens that there is only one gall on a flower-stalk, we 

 generally find the ordinary shortened catkin covered wilh five 

 to ten galls at its thick base, densely packed on one another. 

 At the latter end of June the gall-fly bores through the upper 

 end of the inner gall, forces itself through the channel, and, 

 in order to free itself, bites a hole at the apex of the gall. 

 Galls, from which the fly has emerged, may sometimes be 

 found on the trees in autumn. — G. L. Mayr. 



This gall, like the preceding, is only to be found on the 

 male flowers of the Turkey oak. Synergus variabilis, Mayr, 

 is an inquiline ; and Megastigniits dorsalis, Fabr., a parasite 

 in it. Both appear a little later than the gall-maker. Dr. 

 Giraud also mentions the presence of cecidomyideous larvae 

 in the " cavite superieure." — E. A. Fitch. 



