DKSCRIPTIONS OF OAK-GALLS. 



181 



Oil the young twigs of Querciis sessilijlora and Q. pubescens 

 that they are often bent down by them. A thick disk is 

 developed on one side of the enp, the edge of which is at first 

 surrounded with sn)all conical projections, but the upper 

 surface very soon becomes covered with numerous, more or 



Fig. 89. — Gall of Cunipti ccqmt-vtrduna, and cup with the inner gall. 



less bent, red thread-like growths, which are pointed at the 

 ends, and bear a great resemblance to the tentacles ol' a sea- 

 anemone [Afiinia). In some cases the disk does not widen, 

 but the edges are turned inwards towards the base, whilst the 

 protuberances grow on, and numerous thread-like side 

 branches are produced, which spread themselves in all 

 directions, so that the disk becomes quite hidden, and when 

 the gall matures scarcely more than these are noticeable. In 

 the centre of the disk there is transversely a thin-walled, 

 single-chambered inner gall, which is separated from the 

 surrounding gall substance when ripe. Several galls often 

 grow so near together that they appear like a single gall, as 

 large as a man's fist. 'J'he galls become mature at the beginning 

 o( winter, and during the cold season a great many fall oH'the 

 trees, but many remain. From both the Hies appear in 

 February: these are best to be obtained by collecting the 

 inner galls at the end of January. — G. L. Mayk. 



We now come to the sixth and last division, namely, the 

 fruit-galls, — tliose species which produce galls either on or 

 in the fertile flower, or acorn. It is doubtful whether any of 



