surface of the body. 
4 
aa 
ae 
THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
- Oniscide—continued. 
the soft internal organs; these rings are united by 
soft membranes, to permit of the motion of one ring» 
or another. They resemble insects considerably in the 
structure of the mouth, antennæ, and limbs; but they 
are readily distinguished from insects by possessing more 
than three pairs of true jointed legs, and by breathing 
by gills instead of by air-tubes. They never have a 
trace of wings; and their general appearance is an easy 
means of recognising them. They have two pairs of 
antennæ, though, in Oniscide, one pair is hardly to be 
seen. Their course of development also, and the changes 
passed through, are different from those undergone by 
insects. The class Crustacea includes a number of 
families of very different. appearance, size, and habits; but 
most of its members live in water, and those which live 
out of water prefer moist situations, such as among dead 
leaves and other decaying matter, and conceal them- 
selves, accordingly, during the day, in holes, from which 
they emerge, to feed, at night. The larger Crustacea, 
or Podophthalma, have their eyes supported on stalks. 
‘To this series belong crabs, lobsters, shrimps, and allied 
forms, By far the greater number of species of Orus- 
tacea, however, are small, with the eyes sessile, i.e., upon 
the surface of the head, not on footstalks. The indi- 
viduals of several of the groups in this series are 
microscopic in size; but two groups contain species of 
zin. and upwards in length, having the head and seg- 
ments of the body all distinct, with the body segments 
all alike in general form and possessing fourteen pairs 
of legs. Of these two groups, one, called Amphipoda, 
has the front pairs of legs different from the hinder 
ones The other group, called Isopoda (meaning equal 
feet), has the legs all similar, and possesses certain ap- 
pendages at the hinder end of the body connected with 
breathing. To this group belong the Oniscida. 
The Oniscide are distinguished from the remaining 
Isopoda by their habit of living in damp air instead of 
im water; by the organs for breathing being modified 
un instead of being fitted to obtain 
oxygen from water; and by having only one pair of 
antennw well developed, and the legs fitted only for 
walking or crawling. They are mostly oblong or oval 
in general outline, and much depressed, with broad, short 
segments on the back, nearly hiding the rather short 
legs; but the antenne are distinctly seen, projecting from 
the sides of the head. The females carry the eggs 
and young, for a time, in a kind of pouch on the lower 
The young differ from the old 
animals only in the smaller number of body rings and 
legs. The Oniscid@ are mostly sluggish, and live, during 
the day, in holes or other places of concealment. In 
colonr, they are usually greyish-brown or dark slaty-blue, 
sometimes spotted with yellowish or buff markings on 
the back. They are common in damp, dark places, 9. g., 
under stones and dead leaves, in holes in walls or trees, 
in flower-pots, in cellars, &c., frequently crowded to- 
gether in large numbers. They feed on plants, usually 
preferring decayed parts, but often do injury to deli- 
cate flowers (e.g, Orchids), and frequently eat down 
seedlings, or destroy plants that spread their leaves on 
the soil, by eating into the part where root and stem 
meet. They are injurious to frnit-trees growing on 
walls, by eating into the ripe fruit that can be reached 
from the wall; and, in like manner, they eat into fallen 
fruits. It may be observed, that they are the only 
Crustacea at all hurtful in gardens. The most trouble-. 
kin. long on an average. These three are Ct 
asellus, with eight-jointed antennæ, back nearly smooth, 
light greyish-brown or leaden-blue, with two rows of 
yellowish or buff spots near the sides, and others 
scattered over the middle space of the back; Porcellio 
scaber, with seven-jointed antenne, back covered with 
as a remedy for ague, ie A and other diseases ; A 
Onıscidæ—continued. : 
round, raised tubercles, dark grey or slaty-blue, and often 
spotted as in the last but varying considerably in colour; 
and Armadillo vulgaris, easily known by its form being 
longer, and more convex, with the sides nearly parallel; 
by the absence of projecting appendages at the tail; by 
its seven-jointed antenne, and uniformly dark leaden 
colour; but, above all, by its habit of rolling itself up 
into a ball when alarmed. This habit has gained for it 
the name of Pill Millipede, and, probably, was the ground A 
on which it was, in past times, employed as a medicine, 5 
to be swallowed as a pill. It was much praised as an 
effective remedy in a number of ailments, but has fallen 
out of repute. Oniscus asellus was also at one time used 
1 
but it also has been discarded. 
Prevention. All holes and coverts ought to be to the E 
utmost got rid of, to prevent the Woodtice from finding 
shelter in the neighbourhood of the plants that have to 
bo protected. Further security may be obtained by $ 
putting the pots on stands in water, or suspending them; 
or, in some cases, by covering them with glass, Trees 
may be protected by closing all holes in walls, removing 
loose plaster, and putting a strip of tar, or other adhesive 
substance, along the base of the wall, and on the trunks 
of the trees. ets? “a 
Remedies. When plants are injured, the cause should 
be sought for, and the animals destroyed. Traps mayybs 
used successfully, such as slices of fruits or fleshy e- 
tables, laid in favourite retreats; or hollow stems, and 
other shelters, placed in the localities frequented by such 
animals, Such traps should be examined from time to 
time, and the Woodlice found therein destroyed by 
being crushed, or dropped into boiling water. Ei 
ONISCUS. See Oniscide. 
Included under 
ONOBROMA, of De Candolle. 
Carthamus. pine an 
ONOBROMA, of Gaertner. A synonym of Car- 
duncellus, 1 
ONOBRTCHIS (the old Greek name use 2 
Dioscorides, derived from onos, the ass, and * 1 
bray; said to be the favourite food of the ass, who 
brayed in his eagerness to get at it). Saintfoin. Orp. 
Leguminose. A rather large genus of greenhouse or 
hardy, unarmed herbs or sub-shrubs, or rarely very spiny _ 
small shrubs. Upwards of seventy species have been 
described, not more than fifty of which are really dis- 
tinct as such; they inhabit Europe, North Africa, and 
extra-tropical, mostly Western, Asia. Flowers purplish, - 
pink, or white, disposed in axillary pedunculate spikes 
or racemes. Pods compressed, semi-orbiculate or orbi- 
culate-circinate. Leaves impari-pinnate ; leaflets entire, 
exstipellate. The plants are of easy culture in a deep 
sandy-loam soil. Seeds should be sown, in spring, in 
their permanent quarters. The only species calling for 
mention here are the following; they are hardy n> 
nial herbs. - : 
O. Caput-galli (cock’s-head). flesh- colour, in few. flowered 
ikes. July. Pod slightly pu ent. l. oblong or cuneate- 
obovate, mucronate, pubescent. Stem erect or diffuse. h. lift. 
South Europe, 1731. (S. F. G. 723, under name of Hed: 
Caput-galli.) 
0. . er ger TAON. N. sg hae he lined with red, and 
ow 2 — 
spikes ner "Jane. CE ore 3 . od 
beneath. Stem erect, softly hispid. A. l4f 
(B. R. 1847, 37.) T WN 
O. sativa (cultivated). Common Saintfoin. fl. 
elongated spikes. Summer. Pod pubescent. J., - 
oblong, mucronate. Stem erect. h. 2ft. to 3ft. West W. 
Europe (Britain), North Asia. (J. F. A. 352; Sy. Fu. B. 884 . 
1817. 
plant. 
