BEETLE-GALL. 503 



and soKd, and the pod itself deformed. Mr. Westwood liaa 

 described a species of gall-fly whicli infests the turnips, and 

 another species is known to lay its eggs upon wheat. 



As if to show that the family of Cynipidse is really related to 

 the ichneumons, it has been discovered that some species of this 

 family are actually parasitic upon other insects. In treating of 

 this remarkable fact, Mr. Westwood writes as follows : — " The 

 relations of these insects with the following families (i. e. Evanidae 

 and Ichneumonidae) have been already noticed. It had always 

 appeared to me contrary to nature that a tribe of vegetable- 

 feeding insects should be arranged in the midst of parasites ; 

 nor was it until I had an opportunity of ascertaining the parasitic 

 habits of some of the species of the family, that I was enabled 

 to form a just notion as to the true value of the parasitic or 

 herbivorous nature of these insects. In June, 1833, 1 detected 

 a minute species, Allotria vietrix, in the act of ovipositing in 

 the body of a rose-aphis, and I subsequently succeeded in hatch- 

 ing specimens of the perfect insect from infested aphides." 



A figure of the tiny insect is given, as it appeared while in 

 the act of depositing its eggs, and has a rather remarkable effect 

 from the fact that the very minute dimensions of the parasite 

 make the aphis look quite a large insect. Other species of this 

 family are also known to be parasitic. The rose-aphis is certainly 

 infested by two species of gall-fly, and probably by more, while 

 the aphides which are found on the willow, the cow-parsnip, and 

 other plants, also fall victims to the Cynipidae. There is one 

 genus of this family, called Figites, which is parasitic on the' 

 larva or pupa of certain dipterous insects. 



The Cynipidae are not the only insects that produce galls upon 

 difierent plants. For example, several species of beetle are known 

 to pass their earlier stages in swellings produced by the puncture 

 of the parent insect. There is a little weevil of a greyish brown, 

 ■which is mentioned by Mr. Eennie as forming a gall upon the 

 hawthorn. 



" In May, 1829, we found on a hawthorn at Lee, in Kent, the 

 leaves at the extremity of a branch neatly folded up in a bundle, 

 but not quite so closely as is usual in the case of leaf-rolling 

 caterpillars. On opening them up, there was no caterpillar to 

 be seen, the centre being occupied with a roundish, brown- 



