or THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 115 



shaped, Y-shaped, or oar-shaped. It always has a stem, which is mostly 

 hidden, and terminates in two projections or prongs (sometimes three 

 in those which are oar-shaped), which are armed with sharp points. 

 It is retractile, and the prongs may be exerted at will, and are doubt- 

 less intended to assist in abrading the tissue of plants, so as to cause 

 an abnormal flow of sap, which serves as food for the larva. That 

 they have little, if anything, to do in causing the gall-growth, we may 



infer from analogy, and from the fact that 

 many Cecidomyidous galls are formed be- 

 fore the larva hatches, and depend on 

 something deposited with the egg. The 

 perfect flies are mostly of a dull black 

 color, like that represented at figure 43, 

 {a female; 5 antennas of male,) and many 

 species so closely resemble each other that 

 it is next to impossible to distinguish them 

 when dr3^ Those which produce the galls 

 here mentioned are difficult to rear, and, with one exception, are not 

 yet known. 



The Grape-vine Apple-gall has been a fruitful source of specula- 

 tion, and has given rise to some curious botanical theories, as the fol- 

 lowing: extract will attest* 



AX APPLE GROWING- ox A GRAPE-VINE. 



A Vegetable Phenomenon. — In the garden of Capt. David E. 

 Moore, Lexinuton, Va., there is growing on a grape-vine, a fully de- 

 veloped apple. On one side of the apple is an appearance of what 

 might have been a grape-bloom. This interesting lusus naturce is, as 

 far as we know, without precedent, and of course has attracted marked 

 attention, and caused no little speculation in the circle learned in 

 such matters about Lexington. The prevailing opinion, we learn, is 

 that an apple-bloom falling accidentally upon a grape-bloom, became 

 incorporated with it and produced the result; but, if so, is it not sin- 

 gular that such an accident had never occurred before? And, if so, 

 again, does it not teach that the grape and apple may be grafted on 

 each other? We hope the pomologists of Lexington will note very 

 carefully all the phenomena of this freak of nature, and that they will 

 have the apple photographed, with a portion of the vine, before its 

 removal, for engraving and publication in Horticultural journals. 



— \_Ricliinond Whig. 



When growing on vines in the vicinity of hickory trees, it has 

 ridiculously been considered a hybrid fruit between these two very 

 ' widely separated plants. 



The form of the gall is variable — sometimes being quite flattened 

 or depressed, but more often spherical, or flattened at base and 

 more pointed at tip. When young it is downy on the outside, and 

 succulent, with a pleasant, acidulous flavor. When mature, it usu- 

 ally has eight or nine longitudinal lobes, as in a musk-melon, and 

 is smoother (Fig. 42, a). A transverse section (J) shows it to consist 



