19 



sect, and illustrates thcm by an extcnsive scrics of dravvings, which 

 •were exhibited { as -nere also si)ecimens of the Insect itself. 



Mr. Curtis also communicated a Paper " On a species of Moth 

 found inhabiting the Galis of a Plant, near Mente Video." The galis 

 in question were collected by Mr. Earle (\vho accompanied Captain 

 Fitzroy in H. M. S. Beagle,) in the month of December, about fif- 

 teen miles \vcstward of the town, on a sort of underwood shrub, 

 which Mr. David Don, on the examination of the small branches, 

 and of a single leaf, thinks may probably be a species of Celastrus. 

 Of the figures in Hlustration of the paper exhibited to the Meeting, 

 one represents a branch supporting two of the galis, which are some- 

 times clustered five or six together. They arise where the attach- 

 ment of leaves or flowers is indicated, and are therefore most proba- 

 bly produced by the transformation of the buds themselves, acted 6n 

 by the stimulus of the insect secretions. On the side of each gali is 

 a round aperture, with an operculum accurately fitted to it, which may 

 easily be picked out ■with the point of a penknife. This operculum 

 is eąually convex on its outer surface with the ręst of the gali, and 

 is of the šame thickness ; but its intemal diameter is less than that of 

 its external surface, \vhich forms a broader rim. Around the orifice 

 the margin of the gali is thickened and a little raised. Within each 

 of the entire galis was found a pupa attached to the base by its tail, 

 with its head close to the operculum ; ■which, it should seem, gives 

 way by a slight expansion or elongation of the. pupa Tvhen just ready 

 to hatch, and the cast skin is left sticking in the passage. 



Mr. Curtis observes that he was very much surprised to find on exa- 

 mination that the pupa contained in these galis belonged not to the 

 Hymenoptera but to the Lepidopterous order ; an occurrence hitherto 

 almost unprecedented. The characters of the Insect, as f ar as could 

 be detected from the imperfect statė in which it was found, are as 

 foUoM's : 



Cecidoses. 



Caput parvum. 



Antennce corpus longitudine teąuantes, graciles, ciliatae, articulis 

 elongatis numerosis : in capitis vertice prope oculos insertae. 



Thorax sąuamulis depressis vesti tus. 



Abdomen subrobustum, ovato-conicum. 



Pedes longi ; tibiis anticis spin^ prope apicem munitis, intennediis 

 posticisąue ad apicem calcaratis, his densė sąuamulatis et in medio 

 praeterea bi-spinosis ; tarsis 5-articulatis, articulo basali longissimo ; 

 unguibus pulvillisąue rainutis. 



Ala sublanceolatae. 



Cecidoses Eremitą. Cec. cinereus ; alis anticis saturate brunneo 



maculatis, dense ciliutis; posticis albidis. 

 Hab. prope Monte Video. Pupa in gailis Celastri P abscondita. 

 From the stoutness of the body Mr. Curtis is inclined to refer the 



