Angnst 7, 187S. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



103 



moths of the previous summer, which then deposit eggs on 

 various species of Galium. By comparatively few persons, 

 however, are they seen at the spring season, tor which several 

 reasons have been given, which need not be debated here. 

 With the caterpillar one usually makes acquaintance in the 

 month of August, or perhaps earlier, feeding on Galium 

 mollugo more frequently than on any other of the Bedstraws. 

 In the long-continued dry weather we occasionally have in the 

 summer, it wUI be noticed that the Bedstraws die down 

 very suddenly, except they may chance to grow in marshy 

 places, and some of these caterpillars perish by the destruction 

 of their food plant, for they are apparently unable to betake 

 themselves to other species, except it be the Field Scabious, 

 By a wise provision of Nature, however, they feed up with 

 great rapidity when the weather is favourable, and I have had 

 them at an early age, and in the course of a fortnight they 

 have cast their skins two or three times, and increased rapidly 

 to their full proportions. As in vaiious others of the Sphin- 

 gina; we find this caterpillar furnished with a pointed and 

 straight horn at the tail, the use of which is not obvious; 

 along the sides of the body we have not the seven oblique 

 stripes seen in some familiar Hawk moth larva>, but only two 

 parallel lines, more plainly discernible in thitt type of the 

 caterpillar where the ground colcur is green. In another type 

 the colour is brown tinged with pink. I have taken both of 

 these off the same plant, feeding in such proximity as to leave 

 one In no doubt as to their being descended from the same 

 parent. This was in a lane near Chelsea, in Jliddlesex, where 

 neither this caterpillar nor any choice insect is very likely to 

 occur again, since the land is now a prey to the builder. The 

 pupal state lasts only a few weeks at the most, and hence the 

 cocoon is of a slight character, though sometimes large, being 

 composed of leaves and stalks drawn together with silk in a 

 careless way, and formed on the surface of the ground. It is 

 made smooth at the base where the chi^ysalis reposes. This is 

 rather singular in form, and so delicate that it will scarcely 

 bear handling. 



Anthroccra FUipendalffi. 



Anihrocera Filipecdulfy Cocoon. 



A smaller member of the Sphinx family (as constituted by 

 Linnaeus) is an occasional visitant to our gardens in some 

 counties. I have seen this species flying by dozens in some of 

 the slopes of Kent, now and then resting on the wild Tbyme, 

 and afterwards with a rapid course, speeding along among the 

 gardens on the edge of the road above, looking a charming 

 object as the sun lit up its green and crimson wings, giving 

 them a metallic lustre. The Six-spotted Burnet Moth, other- 

 wise Anthrocera Filipendul.T, has five relatives occurring in 

 Britain, but this is the commonest of the genus. One writer 

 on entomology remarks that the species flies heavily, and 

 rarely during bright sunshine. This is scarcely correct in 

 either particular, for though we notice them in little swarms 

 clustering about the flowers like bees, they take quick though 

 not lofty circuits on the wing, and very soon damage their 

 pinmage. These insects are as gregarious in the larval as in 

 the imago condition, for wo find the caterpillars feeding in 

 companies, generally on tho Dropwort (Spiraia Filipendula) 

 through April and May, and the cocoons are clustered together, 

 being attached to the stems of grasses, and rather closely 

 woven, though tho tenant only remains therein a short time. 

 The larva feeds in the autumn, and then hybernates. Though, 

 in the majority of the specimens of the moth which we see 

 there are six distinct crimson spots on the deep green ground 



colour, individuals turn up sometimes which have all tho 

 spots confluent, forming a sort of baud across the wings. — 

 J. R. S. C. 



FLOWERS FOR OUR BORDERS.— No. 13. 



MARTYNIA FltAGnANS.— Sweet-scented Majittnia. 



This handsome annual, though no longer a novelty, or, 

 perhaps, it might be said, because no louger a novelty, is ap- 

 parently less cultivated than it deserves to be. Though open to 

 the charge of being somewhat coarse in foliage and habit, its 

 showy crimson-purple flowers are so freely produced through tlio 

 later summer months that this defect may very well be tolerated. 

 When first introduced the Martyuia fragraus was treated as a 

 tender annual, but experience has long since proved that it 

 succeeds well in the open ground, and may, if desired, even be 

 sown in the border when a frame is not at hand. 



When treated as a half-hardy plant it often happens that 

 owing to the thickness of the integument, the seed remains 

 some time dormant. To remedy tins, the seed may be ad - 



Martyuia fragraus. 



vantageously steeped in warm water for an hour or two, whicb 

 will so soften the woody testa that a portion of it may be- 

 readily cut away with a sharp penknife, care being taken to 

 avoid injuring the cotyledons. The seeds are best sown singly 

 in small pots filled with the light compost usually employed for 

 the seeds of half-hardy plants, and when above ground the plants 

 should on no account bo forced in a strong heat, but be allowed 

 abundance of air in siiitable weather that they may become 

 robust and dwarf in habit, and if specimens of the maximum 

 size are desired, the seedlings should be shifted into larger 

 pots as these become filled with roots. It the seeds are not 

 sown singly, the young plants should bo separately potted as 

 soon as large enough to handle without injury. 



Before finally planting-out, the plants should be gradually 

 inured to tho temperature of the external atmosphere in a cold 

 frame, or where this convenience is not at hand, tho plants 

 may be covered witli a hand-light after being transferred to 

 the borders, this protection being gradually withdrawn. 



Tho Martynia delights in a light rich soil and a free supply 

 of water. Being somewhat succulent in habit its stem requires 

 support, and as, from tho largo size of its foliage, it is rather 

 liable to injury from high winds, a partially sheltered situation 

 should be afforded it. 



Those amateurs who may be unable or indisposed to give at- 

 tention to the foregoing details, may be glad to learn that 

 almost equally satisfactory results may be attained by sowing 

 the seed where the plants are intended to bloom about the end 

 of April. The preliminary soaking may bo tried, but the skin 

 should not bo pared off, the lower temperature of the soil 

 rendering this peeling more hazardous than when the seed is 



