16 
Foma Soclornitica. 
“ upon a species of oak, containing an insect.” The plant is stated 
to be probably the Quercus foliis dentato-aculeatis of Hasselquist. 
Of the interior of the gall, it is added, that it may truly be said of 
it, that it is “ as bitter as gall.” The gall itself is described as 
pear-shaped, “ with a circle of small sharp-pointed protuberances 
“ on the upper part of it, which appear to be formed by the insect 
“ for air, or defence, or some other purpose. In each of the galls 
“ there is an aperture, through which the insect escapes, and in the 
“ centre there is a small round hole or nidus where it lodged.” 
There is also the following postcript : “ Since writing the above I 
“ find the leaves of the oak to be those of Quercus infectoria, which 
is accurately figured in Olivier’s Travels in the Levant, and that 
“ the galls are identical with those of commerce.* The tree grows 
“ abundantly throughout Syria. The insect has been named by 
“ Olivier Diplolepis, and it is also accurately figured by him in the 
“ above-mentioned work, but be does not appear to be aware of 
“ the galls being the same with the Mala insana.”'\ 
The galls described by Mr. Lambert seem identical with those of 
Mr. Elliott, although there are several minute discrepancies, as well 
as additional observations, which an examination of the latter have 
enabled me to make. That these galls are the true Dead-Sea apples 
there can no longer be a question ; nothing can be more beautiful 
than their rich, glossy, purplish red exterior— nothing more bitter 
than their porous and easily pulverized interior. Mr. Elliott’s 
galls did not exhibit the regular transverse series of large pointed 
protuberances described by Mr. Lambert ; instead of these, there 
were numerous irregularly placed and smaller elevations, generally 
obtuse, occasionally pointed ; but these are integral portions of the 
gall, and it is difficult to conceive how they can serve the purposes 
suggested by Mr. Lambert. Notwithstanding the large size of 
these galls, (two inches long and an inch and a half in diameter,) 
each contains but a single insect, which makes its escape in the 
winged state, having consumed but a very small portion of the 
centre of the gall. The same circumstance occurs in some of our 
British galls ; and it must be regarded as a curious fact, that so 
large and useless a provision is made for the insect. 
The mode in which the gall is attached to the skin of the plant is 
curious, and unlike that of any other which I have seen; the base of the 
* The galls of Cynips Quercus Tojce, which are found upon Quercus Pyrenaica 
Willdenow (Q. Tosa Bose.), and which are figured in the Journal d’Hist. Nat. 
tom.ii. pi. 32, and in Loudon’s Arboretum Britannicum, p. 1843, have a much 
greater resemblance to the Dead-Sea apples than the real gall-nuts. 
+ A copy of Olivier’s figure of this gall is given in the Arboretum Britannicum, 
p. 1931. 
