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CHAPTER VI. 
PARASITIC NEST S—(continued). 
The Oak-tree and its aptitude for nourishing Galls—Compound Galls, or 
one Gall within another—The SEnsiTIvE GaLt of Carolina—The 
fungus of wine-vaults—Galls and the insects which caused them— 
Colours of Galls—Whence derived—The Galls of various trees and 
plants—The Cynips parasites upon an insect—Galls produced by 
other insects—Mr. Rennie’s account of the BEETLE Ga. of the 
Hawthorn—The Berette GALL of the Thistle—Diprerous GaALL- 
MAKERS—Leaf-miners and Galls—Size of the larve of Leaf-miners— 
The perfect insect and their beauty—Method of displaying the insect 
—SocraL LEaF-MINERS—DIPTEROUS LEAF-MINERS—Animal Galls— 
The Cuicor and its habits—Its curious egg-sac—Difficulty of extir- 
pating it—The penalty of negligence—The Brerze Fires and their 
habitations—Wurestgs and their origin—Their influence upon cattle 
—The Crervs and its ravages among the hives—The Dritus—Its 
remarkable form and the ditference between the sexes—The curious 
habitation which it makes. 
THe reader cannot but notice the singular aptitude 
possessed by the oak-tree for nourishing galls. No part 
of the tree seems to escape the presence of a gall of 
some sort, diverting its vital powers into other channels. 
The tree, however, does not appear to suffer from them, 
and it is just possible that they may be useful to it. 
The leaves are studded with galls, and so are their stems. 
The branches are covered with galls of various shapes, 
sizes, and colours, some bright, smooth, and softly 
coloured, like ripe fruit, others hard, harsh, spiny, and 
rough, as if the very essence of the gnarled branches had 
