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INTLIJENCE or THE SEASON ON THE INSECT WOELD. 



The autumn and winter of last yeai* had a 

 very deleterious effect on the insects of almost 

 every genus. For, where tliousands of 

 moths and butterflies were seen flitting 

 about by day and night in 1859, scarcely a 

 specimen was to be met with last season. 

 The abundance of heavy rain destroyed the 

 pupae of many insects, whether exposed to 

 the damp, chilly atmosphere, or buried far 

 beneath the surface of the earth. Birds 

 suffered from the deficiency of their fa- 

 vourite food, and resorted freely to grain 

 and fruit as substitutes. 



The winter moths, so destructive to the 

 apple and plum orchards in many localities 

 in 1859, confined themselves to very narrow 

 circles last year ; and, consequently, the 

 devastations which follow their track — to 

 the destruction of whole orchards — was 

 preluded by the scantiness of their num- 

 bers. 



That fine but common insect, the privet 



hawkraoth, must have suffered severely in 

 its pupa state last winter, as very few 

 caterpillars were to be met with in the 

 following autumn. There is a remai'kable 

 circumstance connected with the hibernal 

 repose of the chrysalis of this insect. It 

 has been known to remain dormant for two 

 and even three years, and then make its 

 appearance in July or August, as full of 

 life and vigour as if it had only slept its 

 usual winter's sleep. 



This singularit}' in the metamorphosis 

 of the privet liawkmoth is nothing more 

 than a provision of Nature to preserve tlie 

 species intact; for should the season be 

 so wet as to prove destructive to the per- 

 fect insect, as it often happens before they 

 lay their eggs, then the chrysalids that 

 had taken their extra sleep, come forth in 

 the following year to supply the vacancy, 

 and thereby perpetuate their species. 



Michael Westcott. 



NOTES ON NEW PLANTS SUITABLE FOE COOL HOUSES. 



Grevillea alpestris. — The GrevIUeas 

 are an interesting genus of New Holland 

 plants, belonging to the order Proteads. 



GKEVILLEA ALPESTEIS. 



They are all suitable for cool greenhouses, 

 not requiring a temperature above 40' dur- 

 ing winter, and in general treatment assimi- 

 lating with the various 

 evergreen shrubs from the 

 same locality. They may 

 be raised from seed without 

 difficulty, but cuttings of 

 ripe young shoots are pre- 

 ferable, as they root readily 

 in sandy peat under a bell- 

 glass, if encouraged with 

 bottom-heat as soon as 

 callused. Kosmarinifolia, 

 and acuminata are nearly 

 hardy. G. alpestris is a 

 plant of elegant growth, 

 rather pendant, and natu- 

 rally taking tlie form of an 

 ostrich plume, if not trained 

 to upright sticks. The leaves 

 are oblong, ovate, appa- 

 rently sessile ; the flowers 

 are borne on the whole 

 length of the ripe wood, 

 with a large terminal 

 cluster, the weight of which 

 causes the shoots to assume 

 a pendant form. In general 

 appearance it resembles a 

 miniature honeysuckle, and 

 tlie colours of the flowers 

 are lively brick red and 

 canary yellow. [PiiceSs.Gd. 

 Generally in the trade.] 



