l62 INSECT LIFE. 



chapters.) It is produced by a small gall-gnat, which 

 lays an egg in the tip of a branch of willow. A mag- 

 got hatches from this egg and lives in the heart of 

 the bud, which ceases to grow in length ; but, strange- 

 ly enough, leaVes continue to be developed, and they, 

 crowded together, form the cone-shaped gall. 



Collect specimens of the pine-cone willow-gall 

 and, splitting them open in the middle, find the larvae 

 that produced them. 



In early spring the adult gall-gnats can be reared 

 by keeping the galls in breeding cages. 



There is a guest gall-gnat that lays its eggs be- 

 tween the scales of the pine-cone willow-gall, and the 

 larvas hatched from these develop in this place. 

 Seek for specimens of these larvse, and in early spring 

 try to breed the adults. Both of these gall-gnats 

 pass the winter in the larval state within the galls. 

 The larvae can be found within the galls at any time 

 during the summer, fall, or winter ; but in order to 

 breed the adults, it is best to leave the galls on the 

 plants till early spring. 



There are several kinds of insects, among them 

 certain long-horned grasshoppers, that deposit their 

 eggs between the leaves of the pine-cone willow-gall ; 

 the young, however, leave the galls as soon as they 

 are hatched. 



Gall-making species are found in several of the 

 orders of insects. The two gall-gnats mentioned 

 here belong to the order Diptera. Place specimens 

 in your collection with other Diptera under a copy 

 of the following label : — 



Family Cecidomyiid^ (Cec-i-do-my-i'i-dse). 

 The Gall-gnats. 



