49 
THE MOSQUITO IN ENGLAND. 
We have not seen any noticein any of our scientific periodicals of the 
fact that the true New Jersey mosquito has made its appearance in 
England, although statements to that effect have appeared in the news- 
papers. We are able to confirm this rumor from personal experience. 
A large and voracious species of Culex, indistinguishable casually from 
the species common about New York harbor, is to be found in London 
and is notinfrequent in the large hotels. They were particularly bad 
in 1886 at the Grosvenor hotel, Victoria Station, and proved even more 
annoying to the Londoner than to the many American guests of the 
hotel. These insects are undoubtedly being carried over occasionally in 
the large ocean steamers, and the gradual reduction in the length of time 
of the voyage will undoubtedly result in an increase of such instances. 
A recent number of the London Spectator mentions the fact that in 
a large eOlliery in the north of England the men at work in a distant 
part of the mine complained that the galleries were full of mosquitoes. 
As ordinarily it takes something worse than a mosquito to frighten a 
collier, the manager went down to explore, and found large yellow- 
banded wasps in great abundance. 
BRITISH PHYTOPHAGOUS HYMENOPTERA. 
We have recently received the fourth and concluding volume of Mr. 
Peter Cameron’s very valuable Monograph of the Tenthredinide, Siri- 
cide (Uroceridee) and Cynipide of Great Britain. This last volume is 
uniform in style with the preceding ones, and, while dealing chiefly with 
the Cynipidee, includes a very considerable appendix to the first two 
volumes, which were devoted to the Tenthredinidz, or Sawflies. The 
preliminary chapter on the gallflies (Cynipide), giving the general 
biology of these insects, includes a discussion of some very interesting 
topics, such as parthenogenesis, alternation of generations, parasites, 
inquilines, etc. Of the greatest interest, perhaps, is the conclusion 
reached in regard to the origin of the wonderful galls which these insects 
produce in such remarkable variety and complexity. The author rejects 
the theory which we have hitherto urged, and which is generally 
accepted, namely, that the poison peculiar to each species of Cynipidie, 
which is injected by the insect into the tissues of the plant at oviposi- 
tion, is responsible for the distinctive gall resulting from the sting of 
the species, and adopts the theory of mechanical irritation induced by 
the birth and growth of the larva as the prime factor in their genesis. 
Without stopping to discuss this matter now, it is sufficient to state 
that we are by no means convinced of the soundness of the author’s 
views, and still think a more satisfactory explanation is the one first 
stated. A valuable summary of food plants is also given, with synop- 
tic tables of galls and genera, followed by a very full description of the 
species, giving life-history, habits, and synonymy. The appendix to 
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