CHAPTER III. 

 Collecting, Mounting, and Preserving Galls. 



No person of average health and strength need refrain from 

 collecting galls. It is as suitable a pastime for ladies as for 

 gentlemen. It is not laborious work. It does not cause 

 fatigue, such as results from chasing Lepidoptera, Diptera, 

 Hymenoptera, etc., nor is it exposed to the fun and jest from 

 the " vulgar mind " so often hurled at the collector of winged 

 insects. It develops and quickens the powers of observation 

 when in the fields, lanes, and woods, and combines the twin 

 studies of Entomology and Botany. 



An extensive knowledge of these studies is not absolutely 

 necessary, but a general knowledge of the different orders of 

 insecta and of the habitats of plants is very desirable, and 

 will often save hours of fruitless search when wishing to acquire 

 a particular gall on any given plant. E.g. it would be useless 

 to search for the galls of Eriophyes sanguisorba; in a district 

 where the ground is marshy ; the salad burnet {Poterium 

 sanguisorba) grows only in dry pastures in limestone districts ; 

 nor would the galls of Cecidomyia ulniaricB be found on the 

 hedge-bank of a dry and dusty road ; Spircea Ulmaria delights 

 in wet and marshy places, and along the banks of streams 

 and margins of ponds. Much useful information may be 

 easily obtained from handbooks dealing with both these 

 subjects. 



The Impedimenta requisite for collecting are neither ex- 

 pensive to purchase nor heavy to carry, and need not be 

 elaborate as regards the number of articles used. Each collector 

 soon finds what the requirements for such purpose will be. 

 As a guide to the beginner in the collection of galls, the 



