1903] REVIEWS 4^ 



The tribe Cynipinae of Kieffer, includes both the genuine gall-makers (our 

 Cynipinae) and the inquilines or commensals (our Synerginae). He begins with 

 an excellent table for recognizing the galls found on all trees and plants except 

 those found on oak trees; the galls found on the oak are tabulated in a separate table. 

 Each species of oak is then taken up separately and a good table of the galls found 

 on each is given. All the tables are full and clear, and will be found of incal- 

 culable value to the student; they make the identification of the numerous 

 European cynipidous galls easy. 



Kieffer devotes many pages to the origin, formation, and structure of galls, the 

 uses they are put to, and to heterogenesis and parthenogenesis. It is the most 

 interesting part of the work and should be read by all. 



In an excellent dichotomous table of the genera of the Cynipides gallicoles, 

 pages 239 to 257, Kieffer defines 22 genera. He describes one genus, Pante- 

 LiELLA, as new. It is allied to Diastrophus, but is easily separated by the meso- 

 notum being longitudinally striate, by the claws being feebly denticulate, and by 

 the relative length of the second antennal joint. 



This table of genera does not include all the known genera of the gall-making 

 Cynipids, but only those found in Europe; other exotic genera American, African, 

 etc., not included in the table, are, however, alluded to in footnotes. 



In going through this work, one feature that especially commends itself is 

 the compiled list of the commensals and parasites bred from each species of gall 

 that terminates the description. Much time and labor have been expended in 

 compiling these lists; they are, however, of immense value, not only as an aid to 

 the identification of the species, but on account of the great insight they give in 

 regard to the habits and parasitism of the many species involved in these rearings. 



Because a parasite is bred from a cynipid gall it does not necessarily follow 

 that it attacks the gall-maker; it may or it may not; it may come from some of the 

 commensals, coleopterous, lepidopterous, neuropterous, etc., often found in galls. 



The importance of this is well brought out by Kieffer's list of commensals and 

 parasites bred from a common root-gall on oak, Biorhiza pallida Oliver, arranged 

 in two columns. Here it is : 



Commensals. Parasites. 



Coleoptera : Belaninus villosus Fabr. Hymenoptera : Bethylidae, 2 species 



Ceraphronidae, 2 species 

 Flatygasteridae, i sp. 



Neuroptera : Hemerolnus nervosiis F. Torymidae, 1 1 species 



