INSECTS AND FLOWERS 207 



larva developed from the egg increases rapidly 

 in size and soon fills the entire ovary, whilst the 

 ovule perishes. The ovary has now become a 

 gall. When the wasps are mature they forsake 

 the galls. The wingless males are the first to 

 emerge, and they effect their escape through a 

 hole which they bite in the gall. The females 

 remain a little longer in their galls, and are 

 there fertilized by the males. Afterwards they 

 come out also, but only stay a short time within 

 the cavity of the inflorescence, issuing from it as 

 soon as possible into the open air. They 

 accordingly crawl up to the mouth of the 

 inflorescence, and in doing so they come into 

 contact with the pollen of the male flowers 

 and get dusted all over the body head, 

 thorax, abdomen, legs, and wings. After 

 squeezing through between the scaly leaves at 

 the mouth of the inflorescence, and having at 

 last reached the outside, they let their wings dry 

 and then run off to other inflorescences on the 

 same or on a neighbouring fig-tree. I say ' run ' 

 advisedly, for they but rarely make any use of 

 their wings in this act of locomotion. They 

 now seek exclusively inflorescences which are in 

 an earlier stage of development, that they may 

 lay their eggs in the ovaries. Having found 

 such an one they crawl to the opening and 

 slip between the scales into the interior. Some- 

 times their wings are injured in the act of 

 entering; indeed, the wings are occasionally 

 broken off altogether, and are left sticking 

 between the scales near the aperture. 



"Once inside the inflorescence, the wasps 



