76 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
do we began opening the uuexpanded 
buds of a large Carex P when, to our 
astonishinent, as there were no external 
signs, we found a large larva feeding 
on the flower-bead. The larva was 
about 1" 3"' long, grass-green, with 
black spiracles. This discovery caused 
us to look further, and we soon found 
several inore, although full late for them, 
the imperfect flower-heads, when ex- 
panded, readily showing where they have 
been. The best way I know at present 
to find them is to lay down and look 
through the flower-stems, and if the 
flower-head does not reach the top, and 
there is any appearance of frass below it, 
open the flower-head, as it most likely 
contains a larva. — Henry Aris, 9,Raiv- 
storne Street, ClerJcemuell, E.C.; June 3, 
1861. 
Hadena Atriplicis. — Is it usual for the 
green markings in H. Atriplicis to be 
very much fainter in bred specimens than 
when caught? and if so, what is the pro- 
bable reason ? I have observed the same 
with regard to the yellowish markings on 
H. Dentina. — A. B. C. 
Adela Degeerella bred. — On the I6lb 
and 22nd ult. I had the pleasure of 
breeding this species from cases found 
last March, by searching amongst the 
accumulated dried leaves at the base of 
beech bushes . — C. Healy, 74, Napier 
Street, Hoxton, N.; June 3, 1861. 
Cecidomyia Taxi. — When I was in 
Surrey, in January last, I noticed that 
the yews that grow intermingled with 
junipers on Riddlesdown, near Croydon, 
were covered here and there with tinted 
bosses, which had a very pretty appear- 
ance. I gathered several, in the hope 
that I might be able to find out the 
insects that had been instrumental in 
forming these artichoke-like galls. The 
galls I kept in my botany-case for many 
weeks, but unfortunately the larva died 
in its nidus of leaves, and I was thus 
disappointed. More recently, however, 
I observed the same bosses on yew trees 
in Yorkshire, and as May was nearly 
over, I thought it not unlikely I might 
succeed better at a season when so many 
of the Cecidomyire make their entrance 
inio life. I gathered a handful of 
afi'ecled shoots, put them into a cup of 
water, and covered them over with a 
bell-glass. This time I was rewarded 
for my perseverance. The very first day 
of June I had the pleasure of seeing two 
gall-gnats {$ and 9)> under the glass, 
and others have since appeared. The 
gall, as I have said, is in form not 
unlike a tiny artichoke, in the heart of 
which a single larva lives through the 
winter in its nest of closely-fitting leaves, 
which diminish in size as they approach 
the centre. The gnat lays her egg in 
June, in the young and tender green 
shoots wdiieh are just then beginning to 
grow ; these become crijipled, and gradu- 
ally assume the appearance I have de- 
scribed, ofiering food and shelter to the 
yellow-coloured larva during the winter 
months. In April or May it enters on 
the pupa stage of its existence, gathering 
intensity of colour as it approaches matu- 
rity, and in June it comes forth in the 
winged condition, a beautiful orange- 
coloured fly. For the benefit of those 
who may be more particularly interested 
in the Diptera, it may be well to describe 
more minutely the perfect insect, inas- 
much as Professor Loew, though alluding 
to the artichoke galls at the end of the 
branches of Taxus baccata, says that the 
fly is still altogether unknown {nock ganz 
unyeiviss ist), nor does Mr. Walker in- 
clude the species among the 200 Cecido- 
myias he describes with such minuteness. 
I may just remark that the yew gall- 
gnat presents a tolerable appearance, 
being nearly equal in size to the well- 
known C. rosaria. 
DESCUIPXION. 
Male. Antennaa apparently shorter 
than in the female, from the greater 
crowding of the joints, which are verticil- 
