. Annual report of the Commissioner of Agriculture ... Agriculture -- New York (State). 136 lows bear tlieir seeds in catkins. Why tlien should so many brook- side willows thriistrthese cones in our faces ? On cutting one of the cones open one will learn the secret. A tiny, colorless grub rolls helplessly out of a cell in the very center of the cone. It is the young of a small gnat, 0^^ scarcely larger than a mosquito, and known fWk as a " gall ; The cone-shaped body w|^* on the willow branch is called a " pine-cone ; The little gray gnat comes out in the s
. Annual report of the Commissioner of Agriculture ... Agriculture -- New York (State). 136 lows bear tlieir seeds in catkins. Why tlien should so many brook- side willows thriistrthese cones in our faces ? On cutting one of the cones open one will learn the secret. A tiny, colorless grub rolls helplessly out of a cell in the very center of the cone. It is the young of a small gnat, 0^^ scarcely larger than a mosquito, and known fWk as a " gall ; The cone-shaped body w|^* on the willow branch is called a " pine-cone ; The little gray gnat comes out in the spring. Any one can collect the galls from the willows and keep them in some kind of cage in the house until the gnats come forth. The pine-cone gall is an enlarged and deformed bud. The twig might have developed into a branch but for {he pres- ence of the little larva. The scales of the cone are the parts which would have made leaves under more favorable conditions. The brook-lover cannot afford to miss the pine-cone willow-galls. Wandering along the brookside in spring or early summer, one is surprised to iind so many insect visitors darting about in the air. There are dragon-flies of all shapes, %%.—Knob-like bodies, resem. sizes and colors; dainty damsel-flies perch bling pine cones. airily on reeds, their gleaming wings aflut ter in the sunshine; sometimes a nervous mud-wasp alights for a moment and then up and away. The dragon-flies seem intent on coming as near to the water as possible without wetting their wings. They pay no heed to other visitors, yet liow easily they escape the net of the would-be collector! Let them alone. Their busi- ness is important if we would have a new generation of dragon- flies to delight the eye next year. The eggs of these creatures are left in the water and the young ones are aquatic. If you would know more of them, dip down into the stream in some sluggish bay. Dip deep and trail the not among the water plants. Besides 528. Please note t
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