THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 389 



think must be placed to the debit of the Apion, as the few 

 heads of clover free from the attack were perfectly full of 

 seed. — IV. H. Herbert; Wyjield Manor, Neichury, March 

 18, 1873. 



Galls on the Twiga of Willows. — I enclose some galls, 

 which my son collected this week in Teesdale ; their causing 

 the twig to make a sharp angle struck me as curious. — Edwin 

 Bircliall. 



[" The gall is caused by Cecidomyia Salicis. I have not 

 seen it growing for some years. So far as I recollect, the twig 

 on which it occurs is often straight. Very many of the larvae 

 are destroyed by two parasites, Seladerma Capreae and a 

 species of Platygaster, but the oviposition of these, and the 

 way in which they feed on the grub, are unknown. I have 

 mentioned them in the 'Annals of Natural History,' second 

 series, vol. ii. p. 218" [Francis Walker, in a letter to E. New- 

 man). 1 observe that almost every one of these galls, which 

 are about the size of hazel-nuts, has been pecked by a bird, 

 probably a titmouse, and the grub extracted. Every one of 

 the specimens sent by Mr. Birchall has the twig bent in the 

 manner described by him, and one of them bears a leaf-bud 

 on the surface of the gall. It would be interesting to know 

 whether a bud could open in such a situation. — Edward 

 Newman.] 



Food oj Diphthera Orion. — I took, June 15th, 1872, a 

 female D. Orion at rest on the trunk of an oak-tree, in a 

 chip-box, in which I placed an oak-leaf, hoping to obtain 

 eggs. Next morning T found about fifty eggs attached to the 

 leaf, all close together. The eggs were white and echinus- 

 shaped, and through a lens appeared rayed or fluted. They 

 hatched on June 22nd, and 1 put the young larvae on a birch- 

 leaf, and placed the leaf in a test-tube, putting in also a leaf 

 of oak. Next morning they had all left the birch, and were 

 feeding on the oak. They commenced near the stem on the 

 under side of the leaf, forming two companies, getting their 

 heads together and marching forward, skeletonising the leaf. 

 They never left the leaf till all but the veins were consumed. 

 When they emerged from the egg they were semitransparent 

 and of a pale green colour, the segments being much 

 separated; a darker line showed itself on the back, and 

 a few hairs were visible on each segment. On the sixth day 



