21 



delicacy of the plants I knew it would be attended with risk) of traiisfeniiig tlie whole 

 into a larger vessel, where they might enjoy more space, more light and more air; 

 but this experiment proved fatal, from what special cause I know not, and the entire 

 nursery died away by slow degrees. 



" I should previously have slated that the other example of Sphreria now exhibited, 

 that of the chrysalis, was found at ihe fool of ou old hawthorn tree at Roebuck, on the 

 27th of January of this year, — that the large shoot was then about an inch long, which 

 length was soon trebled, — and ihat it came lo its end in the same way and along with 

 its brethren. 



" In putting together these notes I have merely detailed the facts that fell under 

 my own observation, and seem to come within the sphere of entomologists ; the inves- 

 tigation of the plants and of their origin I leave to the botanist: yet, in conclusion, I 

 may mention that as far as I can learn there has not hitherto been recorded any in- 

 stance in Ireland similar to the one just described: the Rev. Joseph Greene indeed 

 informs me that he saw a specimen at Powerscourt, but, as he did not preserve it, no 

 further light can from this circumstance be brought to bear on the subject." 



This kind of parasitism of vegetable upon animal bodies being rare, especially in 

 Europe, it is to be hoped that Mr. Hogan may succeed in finding other specimens and 

 rearing them to maturity. 



Species of Troc/iilium and Ci/nips reared from American Oak-galls. 



Mr. Westwood stated that from some galls of Quercus palustris received from 

 North America, and deposited in the Museum iu the Botanic Gardens at Kew, several 

 specimens of a species of Trochilium had emerged, two of which he now exhibited. 

 The larvae had doubtless fed in the galls, although such a proceeding was quite ab- 

 normal to the genus, their excrement being visible near the a])ertures where the pupa- 

 cases were left projecting. He could not find that the species had been noticed by 

 Dr. Harris, in his ' Monograph on the American Sphingidse,' and he had therefore 

 described the insect in the ' Gardener's Chronicle,' under the name of T. Gallivorum. 

 Among the galls he also found specimens of the Cynips causing the formation, which 

 he had described under the name of C. palliceps. The following are the descriptions 

 referred to: — 



" Trochilium Gallivorum. — Measures 8 lines in the expanse of the fore wings and 

 o lines in the length of the body. It is of a blue-black colour, with two slender, pale 

 yellow diverging lines on the sides of the thorax above, and with the edges of the tail 

 also pale yellow ; the wings are transparent, except the dark fore margin, a curved bar 

 across the middle, and a pale brown apical border; the legs are yellow, with a dark 

 ring round the tibiae near the tips." 



" Cynips palliceps. — Of a black colour, with the head and front and under parts of 

 the thorax pale yellow; the males are distinguished by the large size of their heads. 

 Length rather less than 2 lines." 



Economy of Evania. 



Mr. Westwood said a connection between Blatta and Evania had often been no- 

 ticed without the nature of it having been understood : he had recently had an ojipor- 

 tunity of investigating the subject, a correspondent having sent him some egg-capsules 



