44 transactions of the 



6th February, 1874. 

 Mr. James Allan, Vice-President, in the chair. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



By Mr. J. Harvie.— A nest, apparently that of a robin or a 

 creeper, found imbedded in the centre of a tree from Ireland. As 

 the hole from which it was taken had no external aperture, and 

 as there were about six inches of wood on the side nearest the 

 surface, it was evidently of considerable age. 



By Mr. Cameron — A large collection of Hymenoptera in illus- 

 tration of his paper. 



PAPER READ. 



" Contributions to a Knowledge of the Scotch Cynipidse." By 

 P. Cameron, jun. 



During the last two years I have paid considerable attention to 

 Scotch Cynipidee, especially to the gall-makers and inquilines ; and 

 having been able to identify as natives the greater part of the 

 recorded British species, it has occurred to me that it might be 

 useful to give, in a connected form, an account of our present 

 knowledge of the subject. With the exception of Mr. TrailFs 

 descriptions of galls in the " Scottish Naturalist," nothing has been 

 written upon the Scotch species ; nor indeed can our knowledge of 

 those of Britain be regarded in any other light than as a beginning. 

 The number of true gall-makers reported for Britain is thirty-six ; 

 in this paper thirty are noted as natives of Scotland, besides one 

 doubtful species ; but this is not by any means the real number, 

 for I possess many other galls and insects that cannot in the 

 meantime be identified. 



My knowledge of their distribution is at present so scanty, that 

 I have omitted in most cases special reference to it ; but to assist 

 the local student, I have given localities for those found within five 

 miles around Glasgow. As excellent descriptions of the galls 

 have appeared within the last few years, it is needless for me to 

 allude to them here, but I have added a few notes upon the habits 

 of the insects. 



The study of galls and gall-insects is one of the most interesting 

 branches of Natural History, and is alike worthy of the attention 

 of the entomologist and botanist. The former will find that the 

 habits of the flies, their inquilines and parasites, will afFoixl ample 

 opportunity for using his powers of observation, his ingenuity, 



