LONDON INSECTS 93 



Gall-flies which are to vegetables what Ichneumon- 

 flies are to insect life, and much more attractive 

 belong to the same order. They are of many sorts, and 

 lay their eggs on leaves and young shoots of trees, etc., 

 which burst out at the touch into excrescences of 

 many different kinds, some hard and round like woody 

 marbles, others soft and spongy, others brilliantly- 

 coloured hairy tufts, which become the home of the 

 grub when hatched, stored with all the provisions it 

 will require. 



The egg-laying wand of every Gall-fly has the 

 magical power of Aladdin's wonderful lamp, and can 

 make a furnished palace spring into existence just 

 when it is wanted. 



London vegetation does not seem to be generally 

 attractive to them; but, though they are not by any 

 means so conspicuous hi their varieties as in almost 

 any field in the country, Galls of many kinds are to 

 be found in our parks and gardens. 



It was at one time commonly held that great events 

 might be foretold with certainty by the initiated by 

 cutting open galls and seeing what sort of creatures 

 they contained. 



The most familiar and pleasantest of the Hymeno- 

 ptera are Ants and Bees, of neither of which we have 

 any want in London. 



Honey Bees, chiefly the Ligurian kind, which are 

 said to be better tempered than the common hardier 

 Black Bees, are kept by several people in the heart 

 of the town, and if fed occasionally in the winter, do 



