On the Gall-Midges (Cecidomyide). An introductory paper. By 
Professor AtLeEN Harxer, F.L.S., Royal Agricultural 
College, Cirencester ; read 22nd November, 1887. 
The Gall-Midges have occupied the attention of Naturalists 
since the middle of last century. De Geer, of whose labours 
it would be difficult to speak too highly, described 3 species, 
and some of his minute observations upon them, on which 
doubt was thrown by subsequent writers, have recently been 
confirmed. I hope to publish, later on, a complete bibliography 
of the family; in this paper my object is merely to give a 
general] introduction, and to record one or two observations of 
interest in the life history of these insects, which have occupied 
my attention during the past two summers. 
The Gall-Midges in themselves are inconspicuous and 
insignificant looking creatures. They are small two-winged 
flies (Diptera) with plume-like antenne, delicate bodies and long 
legs. They are dwarf-like relations of the ‘“‘ Daddy-long-legs.” 
Their wings are beautiful by reason of their sheen and hyales- 
cent colours, due to markings or clothing of hairs on their 
surface. Few of these flies reach one-fourth of an inch in length 
of body (excluding the antennz) or an expanse of wing of more 
than a half inch. They would indeed hardly obtrude themselves 
on the notice of the casual observer at all, save that on fine late 
spring or early summer evenings, they crowd together to per- 
form their nuptial dances, as is the habit of the Culicidae and 
Chironomidae, allied families of Diptera, and like clouds 
of permanent smoke they rise and fall, and roll along the 
landscape, ‘‘ de loco in locum continuo volitantes.”” They live but 
a short time, at longest a few days, their paternal and maternal 
duties performed, they disappear. I have often been surprised 
at their fragile hold of life; on capturing a specimen and 
bringing it home in a small collecting phial, it is invariably 
dead in a few hours, while many species of flies will live for 
days in a similar bottle. 
