HYMENOPTERA. — CYNIPIDA. 131 
not take place until the month of March, long after the leaves have 
fallen, the real economy of this species had been overlooked. 
Cynips aptera resides in galls at the roots of the oak, beech, &c. and 
is infested by a beautiful species of Callimome (C. subterraneus Curtis. 
B, E. 552. See Bird in Hint. Mag. vol. ii. p.43.) My specimens of the 
galls of this species are pear-shaped, and slightly imbricated, being 
attached close together by their narrow end to the slender twigs of the 
root of the tree. They are monothalamous, and about one third of an 
inch in diameter. 
These different galls are found upon various species of oaks, and it 
is to be observed that no tree affords so many distinct species of galls 
as the various species of the genus Quercus; the leaves, in addition to 
the small flat spangle galls produce globular galls of various sizes, 
caused by several different species ; the young shoots produce a large 
gall, well known to schoolboys as the oak apple, and produced by 
Cynips terminalis; the parts of fructification are sometimes attacked 
by a species, the galls of which hang on the catkins like a bunch of 
currants; the root produces a large woody gall, inhabited by Cynips 
aptera; other galls are prickly, some are branched, and some resemble 
little artichokes. Someleaves are loaded with little rough galls, &c. 
C. quercus folii Z., C. q. baccarum Z., C. q. inferus Z., C. q. pe- 
tioli Z., C. q. ramuli Z., C.q. corticis Z., C. q. gemme Z., C. q. pe- 
dunculi Z., C. q. ealicis, and C. q. terminalis /ab., are all inhabitants 
of the oak, their names implying the different parts they affect. But 
see Spinola (Ins. Ligur, vol. ii. p. 157.) as to the impropriety of some 
of these names. 
Of the exotic species of galls, little has been hitherto observed. M. 
Bosc, indeed, described sixteen species of galls, during his residence 
in Carolina, eight of which were found upon oaks ; but he was unable 
to rear any of the inhabitants: one of these galls, found on the red 
oak, is spherical, muricated, and very downy ; but the moment it is 
touched its hairs sink down and no more assume their former po- 
sition. Another gall, of the size of a pea, found on another species of 
oak has the outer surface very thin, and encloses in the interior a small 
ball of the size of a grain of millet which rolls about, and within which 
the larva is lodged. M. Bosc opened hundreds of these galls without 
being able to learn the true nature of this production. 
Dr. Dickson, F.L.S., has communicated to me some pods of the me- 
dicinal poppy, very much injured by the attacks of a species of this 
K 2 
