464 



MY GARDEN. 



by which it can pierce the trunks of pine-trees, and it has been 

 known to gnaw through leaden bullets. I have not seen it in my 



garden, though in other places 

 it has been known to be 

 highly destructive. The figure 

 is from the excellent book of 

 Kolliker, translated by West- 

 wood, and represents S. gigas 

 (fig. 1027). 



Gall-insects are another ex- 

 tensive section of the Hymen- 

 optera. The species which 

 develops the nutgall (fig. 1028), 

 which is used in the manufac- 

 ture of writing ink, has within the last fifteen years spread throughout 

 England, and exists .in my garden, especially in the lower branches of 

 the oak, or on the low oak bushes. The oak-apple carried by some 

 good people on King Charles's Day (the 29th of May) is caused by the 

 larvae of another hymenopterous gall-insect ; whilst the mossy ex- 



FIG. 1027. Sirex gigas. 



FIG. 1028. Gall on Oak. 



FIG. I02Q. Redbreast's Pincushion. 



crescence on the rose (fig. 1029) is another example of the effects of 

 this section of hymenopterous insects. All these excrescences are 

 detrimental to the plant on which they live, and should be imme- 

 diately removed. 



Ants exist in my garden, but they do us little or no harm, although 

 they sometimes locate themselves- in our glass-houses. There are species, 



