THE GALL FLV. 
489 
Genus I — Cynips. The Gall Fly. 
The mouth in this genus is armed with jaws, but has 
no probofcis ; the fling is fpiral, and mod frequently con- 
cealed within the body. 
Thofe innumerable and various excrefcences which are 
feen upon the leaves, branches, and roots of trees, are all 
the productions of different kinds of infects. Of thefe, 
fotne fo nearly referable the natural productions of the 
plants, that they are fometimes taken for their fruit or 
their flowers: A. particular kind of ivy produces galls 
that are actually eaten as fruit by the peafants in forne 
parts of France ; and in Conjlantlnople, there are fome of 
thqfe productions brought to market for fale * . 
Some of thefe excrefcences have within a fingle large 
cavity, in which feveral infects live and aiTociate toge- 
ther : Others have a number of frrtaller cavities, with 
communications between them ; a third clafs contain a 
variety of feparate cells, fometimes a hundred, each oc- 
cupied by a fingle infect, which has no communication 
with the reft. Thefe productions are alfo of various 
fiz.es, forms, and confiftency ; fome are fpongy, while 
others are hard like a nut. Of the latter kind, thofe are 
belt known which are imported from the Levant for the 
purpofe of dyeing cloths. 
Vol. HI. 3 AH 
* Reaumur, Tom. III. Mem. xji. 
