ROSE WILLOW. 69 



We must notice yet another common instance, though one 

 perhaps more beautiful than all the preceding, wherein, at the 

 Gall-fly's creative touch, the willow is made to blossom like 

 the rose ; so closely to simulate, by extraneous foliage, the 

 floral form and colour, as to deceive the fathers of botany, as 

 well as no doubt many modern obse^ers. One of the former, 

 old Gerade describes, and gives a figure of the rose willow, 

 under the assured belief that all " its blushing honours," or, 

 as he designates them, all its " gallant shew," could be none 

 other than the tree's natural produce ; whereas its mimic roses 

 spring forth in reality at insect instigation, much in the same 

 way as the moss-like tufts of the Bedeguar ; only that, instead 

 of spines, the Billow shoots into leaflets resembling in colour 

 and arrangement the petals of a rose. The change of hue 

 from green to red has been attributed to an acid in the animal 

 juice infused with the intruded egg. 



Besides the Gall-fly, properly so called, there are several 

 other insects which cause by their punctures a vanity of 

 vegetable excrescences somewhat resembling those described. 

 Amongst these are the thistle-fly,* gall-gnat, f a few minute 

 beetles, and several sorts of Aphides. 



As works of wonder, all the comparatively great effects 

 which arise from these tiny causes are worthy of description, as 

 well as notice ; but they are too large and too varied for the 

 little limits of our page. It remains, moreover, to complete our 



* TephrUis Cardui. t Ceeidomyia. 



