OF FICUSROXBritGHII 



appropi 



,,l,cn».»m. which ,1 «U „o,,t,, , pp<! „ ,„ w 



or a period 



<• „ iji _. . , v """™*~ "J' 1,,seTO > ot tho normal si >cie. 



far as could be ascertained, no mature gall-receptacles had been orm2 . 



of months on any of the trees there or in the Zoological Garden „ ' Zl ,' * 

 then, quite possible that the insect is not specifically related to the ,r* but ,1 T?** 

 either normally common to it and some other species, or properly belon-i » " 



species, and has appropriated this on importation. Without specimen, of tho" 



normally related to the tree in its native habitat and a complete set of all those »»W* 



the species of figs occurring about Calcutta, neither of which have yet been obtai, ^ 

 impossible to come to a definite conclusion on the point, and it U merely all Yl 



to here as one calling for further enquiry * 



Whether, however, the insect be native or exotic, specific to F. Roxburgh,; „ r common 



fc and other snenies. t.liprp. ia nn rlrml-kf ♦u.-.f u ;„ „ „• _i- • ... 



to it and other species, there is no doubt that it is a single species whirl, n\ iytu 

 the trees in Calcutta, and is essential to the production of mature pollen and of fe> \\ 

 seeds there, and that this is, as I am informed by Mr. Wood-Mason, a specif 

 Eupristis. In dealing with its life-history it is convenient to take as a startin 



point 



the period when a large gall-receptacle to which individuals belonging to a previous gen r 

 ation of fertilized females have gained access is attaining the final tqs of maturati n 



The first certain index to the occurrence of these is a softening of the walls of I 



id 



ptacle, and a diminution in their tension connected with diminution in tho supply 

 of sap reaching thern and absorption of the receptacular fluid. The walls now give per- 

 ceptibly on pressure and, at the same time, their colour has changed from green to a 

 reddish-yellow. If such a receptacle be laid open, the interior of tho cavity is found 

 merely moist, with a very thick stratum of the enlarged ovaries of the gall-nWers 

 uniformly covering the surface, save over the centre of the ostiolar face, where a 

 great mass of closely-packed filaments and anthers forms a conspicuous prominence. The 

 surface is everywhere, save over the staminal prominence, stained of varying shades 

 of madder-brown, due to deposit from the absorbed receptacular fluid ; the d pth of tint 

 of various areas being, as previously mentioned, apparently related to the position of 

 the receptacle favouring excessive deposit in some places. Sometimes, too, patch s or 

 fine webs of fungal mycelium are recognisable on some parts of the surface. The 

 solid mass of closely appressed ostiolar bracts beneath the mass of over-arching male 

 flowers is of very considerable thickness, even in relatively small receptacles attaining 

 a thickness of near 0*5". 



It is only for a brief period that the mature receptacles retain the above characters, for 

 the insects begin to emerge within a short time. For some time in normal cases male in acts 

 alone make their appearance, gnawing their way out of the ovaries and crawling awk- 

 wardly about over the surface to perforate the flowers containing the females and to impreg- 

 nate the inmates. They are amber-coloured, wingless, and with very strong jaws and tele pic 

 abdomens. Gradually more and more of them converge to the central area of the ostiolar 

 face of the cavity and commence to attack the male flowers. With their powerful jaws they 

 cut^hrough filaments and anthers indiscriminately^nd^oonj-educe the mass of male flowers 



*~o- Ti i '. ^ i Z~7L T^lTZIT^f Iviwiammie of the Government Cinchona Plantation*. 



* Since the above was written I have, through the kindness of Mr. Cxj ram e or t contained 4ecU in iuch an 



obtained a gall-receptacle of F. Boxburghii from Sikkim, "%?>> *^*^™ e wfa present *as unequivocally 

 advanced stage of development as to en»ble it to be readily determined tnat tne specie. F ~i j 



distinct from that affectine the tree in Calcutta. 



