228 



The Scottish Naturalist. 



forming galls on Vicia septum and on V. Cracca, on 

 which last plant I found the galls in the same neigh- 

 bourhood. The galls on V. hirsuta, like those on the 

 other vetches named, form swellings on the stems, 

 usually at the origin of a branch or leaf, or on the 

 peduncles near their base. The affected axis swells 

 almost uniformly all round to twice or thrice its natural 

 size, passing gradually at each end into the thinner por- 

 tions. The surface is much like that of the healthy 

 stem, but is usually yellowish-green in colour. In the 

 relatively large central cavity lives the solitary larva. 

 Lathyrus macrorrhizus Wimm. For this species, on which 

 I have not myself found galls, I quote Mr. Cameron's 

 description of, and remarks on the specimen found by 

 Mr. Ewing near Kirkcaldy. "It is an irregular swelling, 

 bent in the middle, having a length of from 7 to 8 lines, 

 and a breadth of from 4 to 5 lines. Internally it is hard 

 and woody. ... It is not unlike some of the galls of 

 Aulax Hieracii found at the roots of the Hieracia ; and 

 I am inclined to believe that an Aulax may be the 

 maker." 



Saxifraga aizoides L. The branches of this saxifrage are 

 liable to be distorted by the attacks of a species of 

 Phytoptus. On the leafy shoots the leaves remain small 

 and imbricated, or may even be abortive. The inflor- 

 escences also may be affected, the flowers passing into 

 the " virescent " condition. The examples seen by me 

 were not markedly hairy, though the epiderm bore a few 

 irregular ill-formed hairs. Dr. White sent me examples, 

 in July, 1887, from Perthshire; and, in September, 

 1888, I found it not uncommon near Dalmally 

 in Argyllshire. This gall was first recorded by Dr. 

 Thomas, in 1872, from the Via Mala in Switzerland, 

 where he found it with hairy leaves. He afterwards ob- 

 tained it like our Scotch form. Dr. Low records it, 

 under the latter form, from the Tyrol. 



Ribes nigrum L. The swollen bud-galls on this plant caused 

 by mites (Phytoptus) have been known to occur in the 

 neighbourhood of Glasgow, and elsewhere in the South 

 of Scotland for a good many years ; but as I had not 



