224 
The egg is very small, and is laid by means of a long 
telescope-like ovipositor. 
In the Cynipide the ovipositor is hard and chitinous, just 
a weapon suited to piercing the epiderm, and even harder cork 
tissues of a plant, but in the Gall Midges this organ does not 
appear to be adapted for any such boring or piercing function, 
and it may be that the egg is laid on the surface of the epiderm. 
To this interesting question attention will be hereafter given. 
In the case of the Wheat Midge, the oviposition of which it is 
80 easy to watch in the mild June evenings when the wheat is 
flowering, the eggs are of course pushed between the inner 
glumes of the florets and left adherent to them or lying on the 
pistil at their base. 
The larve are white, yellow, or orange coloured grubs, 
usually foot-less, from the 7, to 3 of an inch in length. Their 
colour changes somewhat with age. They have been said to 
furnish an exception to all other larve in the number of the 
segments of their body, being 14 instead of 13, a supernumerary 
14th segment existing between the head and the first thoracic 
(or stigma bearing) segment. The spiracles are yellow chitinous 
nipple shaped projections, and are very conspicuous features. 
They number usually 9 pairs, and the main trachea communica- 
ting with each is readily seen under a low power with transmit- 
ted light. 
The surface of the body is ornamented by papillated 
protuberances or caruncles, and in many species there are distinct 
pseudopods. De Geer first pointed these out, but subsequent 
Dipterologists have stated that he mistook the back for the 
venter, and described what were merely dorsal caruncles as 
pseudopods. The older naturalist was however quite correct. I 
have examined hundreds of larvee with both carwneles and pseudo- 
pods, and there can be no doubt of the accuracy of De Geer’s 
record. J have further remarked in certain species, rows of 
minute spines on each segment, corresponding to similar spines 
on such larve as the Aistride, which live in the organs and 
tissues of animals, and their function must be locomotary in a 
limited fashion, probably aiding the grub in turning itself in 
its gall. Figures of these will be given. 
