xu 



weets ; by the middle of June, male and female gall-flies (Cynips quercus-spongifica, 

 Oslen-Sacken) emerge from a small proportion of tbem, say one-fourth ; the remaining 

 three-foiirtbs do not develop flies until tlie autumn, and then produce gall-flies 

 (C. q acicuiala) closely allied to, yet quile distinct from, those produced in June, and 

 out of ihousauds of the autumnal flies which were examined not one was a male. 

 Mr. Walsh placed some of the autumnal form (C. q. aciculata) on oak-trees, and they 

 created galls, Iroiu some of which were obtained the spring form (C. q. spongifica), 

 whilst a few produced the autumnal form (C. q. aciculata), and all the latter were 

 females. These last ajjain were placed on isolated oaks, galls were formed by their 

 puncturing, and froui these the spring form (C. q. sponj^ifica) was again obtained. 

 From which observations it was to be inferred that the two forms are not distinct 

 species, but dimorphous forms of the same species. From the red oak (Quercus 

 inanis) a diflferent gall was obtained, smaller than the former, and the central cell not 

 woody : from these galls came male and female gall-flies (Cynips quercus-inanis, 

 Oslen-Sacken), which were undistinguishable from the spring form of C. q. spongifica, 

 but no autumnal form of this fly had been discovered. Mr. Walsh felt himself com- 

 pelled to consider the flies distinct, because the galls were diff'erent and were obtained 

 from distinct species of oak; but the gall-flies were exactly alike. An account of 

 Mr. Walsh's observations had been given in " The American Entomologist," of which 

 Mr. Smith mentioned that, though 6000 copies were struck off, the early numbers 

 were alrciidy out of print. 



Mr. Charles Home stated the result of his observations in India on various insects, 

 as re;:ar(ls their liability to or freedom from the attacks of animals, birds, lizards, &c. 

 In corroboration of his previous statement (ante, p. vii.) he might mention that the 

 brown or yellow bear (Ursus isabellinus) was described by Dr. Jerdon as eating scor- 

 pions, insects, honey and fruit; the Himalayan black hear (U. Tibetanus) was very 

 fond of locusts, but with this exception did not affuct insects; the black bear 

 (U. labiatus) was said to "suck the grubs of large Loiigicorns" in the Neilgherries, 

 having first dug them out of the soil, but this bear was not found among the hills of 

 the Norlh-West Provinces, and Mr. Home was not personally acquainted with its 

 habits. Anibia i|uadriniaculata, all the species of Blaps, and all the observed Myla- 

 bridse and Geotrupidtp, were refused by everything. A brightly coloured locust was 

 refused by birds and lizards; it exuded a yellow acrid juice with a pungent odour. 

 The wingless female Lauipyridoe were not eaten, though perhips the males might be. 

 Small round hard Coleopiera, and Mantispae, were refused by the Gecko lizards, whith 

 were otherwise ou)niv(U-ous. Termites in all their stages, and migratory locusts, were 

 generally eaten by birds, frogs and lizards; even the smallest birds would take 

 locusts, as would also squirrels and mice. Hemiptera were generally refused. Man- 

 tidsB were freely eaten by birds. Merops viridis and other birds eat bees; the honey- 

 buzzard tears off" the comb of bees and wasps, and heedless of their slings sits and eats 

 the honey, wax, grubs, and all. Crows eat all visible caterpillars, but prefer smooth- 

 bodied ones. Kiiig-crows (Dicrurus) eat all insects on the wing; a large fat-bodied 

 moth with red under-wings was a great favourite with them. Sparrows delight in the 

 Noctuidae ; so do the hunting spiders, and Mr. Home was at a loss to understand why 

 the spiders were not carried oS" by the moths. Most of the thrush tribe gobble up 

 almost indiscriminately every insect or caterpillar they find. Sparrows had been seen 

 to refuse cockroaches, but other birds would eat thrm. Most of the Blatlidas were 



