172 IRambles witb IRature Students 



I have been picking up leaves entirely covered 

 with bright crimson spangle-galls. Such leaves lie 

 on the ground all through the winter whilst the 

 grubs are maturing ; and if we find some of these 

 leaves about the end of February, and keep them 

 in a bottle, slightly moistening them from day to day, 



TURKEY OAK. 



the flies will hatch, and we can see for ourselves 

 Cynips longipennis, the exact species that has caused 

 the spangle-gall. 



The large round gall shown in the illustration 

 is the product of a species of Cynips, and is 

 beautifully coloured with a pinkish crimson on 

 one side. 



