THE YOUNG 



would not be quite the same, though most 

 of the aculeate hymenoptera have stings, and 

 most of the fossores have an ovipositor. 



The Sawfiies (Tenthredinida) are so called 

 from the saw-like weapon with which the 

 female pierces the leaf or juicy shoot where 

 she wishes to deposit her eggs, which are 

 placed in the wound so created. The larvae 

 are often taken by beginners for those of 

 Lepidopteva, but they may always be known 

 by the greater number of abdominal legs, or 

 their entire want of them, some species 

 having only the six pectoral, while those 

 that are provided with legs on the abdominal 

 segments have ten, twelve, or fourteen, as 

 well as two anal legs. Some of the species 

 emit, when disturbed, a watery fluid from 

 the body, one of the best known Trichiosoma 

 lucorum will do this more than once when 

 handled. This common species is oftener 

 taken by beginners than any other. The larva 

 feeds on hawthorn in July, is a whitish green, 

 rather mealy looking, and, if the legs are not 

 noticed, is very like a Lepidopterous larva. 

 It spins a cocoon about the size and very 

 like that of the small eggar (E. lanestris), 

 and one was sent us the other day evidently 

 in the belief that it was the cocoon of a 

 moth. In this cocoon the larva passes the 

 winter, changing to a pupa about April. 

 When it changes to pupa, it is quite different 

 to the pupa of a moth, as every organ is 

 enclosed in its separate sheath. There are 

 many other well-known Sawfiies. That 

 frequenting the gooseberry is sadly too 

 common. It is called Nematus grossularia, 

 is bluish green in color, with black spots, 

 not very unlike the larva of the V Moth 

 Halia Wavaria. At its last moult it becomes 

 all yellow. Many of the Sawfiies are 

 highly destructive insects. 



The Gallfles (Cyuips) are little noticed in 

 the perfect state, but the excrescences they 

 cause on various plants and trees are well- 

 known, The female has an ovipositor with 

 which she penetrates the leaves or young 

 shoots where she wishes to deposit her eggs. 



NATURALIST. 141 



It is probable that she ejects with the egg 

 some fluid that causes the juices of the 

 plant to be diverted, as the galls in which 

 the larvae live, and which form their food, 

 are purely vegetable in substance, and grow 

 like the plant. Ink used to be made prin- 

 cipally from an oak gall, formed by a cynips, 

 the gall being very rich In tannin. Apples 

 of Sodom 



'• Dead sea fruits, that tempt the eye, 

 But turn to ashes on the lips." 



are also the production of a Gallfly (Cyuips 



in san a). 



The larvfie of the genus Sirex, live in 

 growing wood, and have very powerful 

 mandibles. Some of the species are said 

 to be able to perforate lead or similar sub- 

 stances. The Giant Sirex (Sirex gagas) is not 

 very uncommon; though generally met with 

 singly in this country. It has rather a for- 

 midable appearance, the ovipositor being so 

 like a sting, There is a band of dull yellow 

 below the thorax, and the anal segments 

 are the same color. The wings expand 

 more than two inches, and the body without 

 the ovipositor is more than an inch long. 



The eggs of the ichneumons ( ichneumonida ) 

 are deposited in or upon the bodies of living 

 insects generally in the larval state. It is 

 not very easy to understand how they get 

 at some of them, for larvae that live in the 

 inside of plant stems, and are otherwise 

 concealed do not escape their attacks. Some 

 of them have very long ovipositors, twice or 

 three times the length of their bodies, 

 w.iich are doubtless for inserting in stems, 

 Sec, where larvae areconcealed, but we have 

 very little idea how the operation is accom- 

 plished. 



We cannot spare space to enter into any 

 details about Bees and Ants, and therefore 

 leave them for some future opportunity ; but 

 there are some kinds of Bees about which 

 less is known generality than about the 

 Hive Bee. We will therefore say a word 

 or two about some of them. Of the 

 Solitary Bees we may name the Mason 



