THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



No. 35.] DECEMBER, MDCCCLXVI. [Price 6d. 



A Chapter on Galls. By Edward Newman. 



It has often occurred to me, as worthy of note, that while 

 some insects, as beetles, butterflies and moths, have attained 

 a positive money value and a certain amount of fashionable 

 status, others, which appear quite as attractive to the un- 

 initiated, and possess an economy far more interesting, 

 should have no standing at all, in either the mercantile or 

 fashionable world, but should be absolutely neglected and 

 despised. 



In this position is the family of Cynipsites ; and, at the 

 imminent risk of losing a large share of the popularity which 

 the 'Entomologist' and its Editor are now enjoying, I ven- 

 ture on introducing the gallflies to the notice of my readers, 

 and on inviting them to investigate a subject which seems to 

 me fraught with deep instruction. 



Galls are not merely attractive objects in themselves, but 

 the insects which cause them are most delicately fashioned, 

 and the parasites they support are often more brilliant than 

 the choicest gems fresh from the hands of the lapidary. As 

 mere objects of beauty, galls have abundant claims on our 

 notice, but the marvels of their history increase those claims 

 more than a hundredfold. The Aphides have long enjoyed 

 an ample share of the attention of the scientific : this has 

 sometimes been exhibited in stolid wonderment at their 

 curious reproductive powers, but more commonly in specu- 

 lative guesses at the rationale of the mystery. The repro- 

 duction of gallflies is far more miraculous ; and although by 

 the reflecting mind it must be accepted as natural, yet the 

 facts, as detailed according to the best of our ability, appear 

 altogether supernatural. It is ten years since 1 made the 

 statement that twenty-eight well-known species of Cynips 

 have maintained a regular succession of generations, multi- 

 tudinous in the number of individuals, without the discovery 



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