968 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



well have penetrated through the closel}^ thatched scales of 

 the eye; and the pollen from a male flower in the same 

 fig would only be ripe from a month to six weeks after- 

 wards, at a time when the stigmas of the female flowers 

 will have attained their full development and receptivity. 

 After the egg has been deposited the gall flower does not 

 at once cease to develop. The embryo and kernel of the 

 seed keep on growing for a month. After that the egg of 

 the Blastophaga begins to develop, and when it passes 

 into the larva stage it begins to feed on the embryo of the 

 fig, which thus soon perishes. The integument of the 

 ovary again grows and assumes the form of a large, hard, 

 brownish and glass-like gall. In two months the young 

 female Blastophaga wasps have attained their full devel- 

 ment and after copulation with the wingless males are 

 ready to leave the caprifigs. And this they do in the 

 same way as they left the previous crop, the profichi. 

 The males die within the figs in all the crops. They have 

 performed their function and are of no more use. It may 

 here be incidentally stated that even if the wasp's egg is 

 not deposited in a gall-flower, the latter will after a cer- 

 tain time cease to develop. It will never produce seed. 



At this time the winter figs or the " mamme " destined 

 to become the first crop of the following year are of the 

 proper size and development required by the Blastopha- 

 gas, which enter them in the same way as described above 

 in order to deposit eggs. 



Next spring these develop and ripen and the young 

 Blastophagas leave them in April. They immediately 

 afterwares enter the second crop caprifigs and their de- 

 posited eggs will in the end of June have developed into 

 perfect wasps. 



The cycle of the Blaslophaga is thus perfected and we 

 have followed its life histor}^ through the various crops of 



