118 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEfe. 



t Febniary 15, 1877. 



known species of the genus resemble one another very closely 

 in hahit and flower ; bat there are two types of leaf, one with 

 a distioct petiole and an oblong blade, after the fashion of a 

 Euoharis or a Griffiaia, a type of form very rare in Liliaoeie, 

 and the other with the blade narrowed gradually from the 

 middle to both ends and not furnished with any distinct 

 petiole. This is the first species of the latter group that has 

 been brought into cultivation. It flowered at Kew first in 

 July, 1S7^."— {Ibid, t. 6276 ) 



EuoDODENDRON.— Princess of Wales "bred from R. jasmini- 

 floram by the Messrs. Veitoh & Sons of Chelsea. The original 

 cross yielded the well-known useful decorative plants Princees 

 Royal, Princess Helena, Princess Alexandra, &c.; and as the 

 result of a subsequent cross, there has been obtained through 

 these a race with larger flowers, and having all the other good 

 qualities of the first hybrids. The variety we now figure, Rho- 

 dodendron Princess of Wales, is one of this second race of 

 hybrids, and one of the most beautiful of them all, the colour 

 being a peculiarly soft but brilliant tint of rose-pink, which 

 is set off by contrast with the pure white of the throat aud 

 tube. The foliage is similar to that of the other hybrids of 

 like origin. This variety has been certificated by the Royal 

 Horticultural Society and also by the Royal Botanic Society." 

 — (Flor. and Pom. 3 s., p. 3.) 



CHAPTERS ON INSECTS FOR GARDENERS. 



No. 16. 

 Passing to the butterflies, the Purple Emperor claims a 

 place of honour ; to hunt it in Oak copses with a pole of un- 

 wieldy length is a game delightful to the entomologist on 

 sultry July days. The remainder of these sluglike caterpillars 

 we call " Satyrs ;" popularly the species are " Meadow Butter- 

 flies," or "Browns," and shades of this colour do roally pre- 

 dominate amongst them. From meadows and lawns they pass 

 to our flowerbeds, though also, in several instances, displaying 

 a liking for dusty roadc, which seems peculiar. Thus the AY all 

 Butterfly (Pyrarga .Egeria), often pitches on walls or stones, 

 and being a good flier it will pass from garden to garden in suc- 

 cession. Like several of its brethren it has hoiry eyes, possibly 

 it sees all the better. Most abundant are the two species 

 called the Meadow Browu (Epinephele Jauira), in meadows 

 and on commons; and the Largo Heath (E. Tithonus), which 

 is not by any means confined to heaths, but is an occasional 

 visitant in gardens. Two of these butterflies, the Ringlet 

 (E. Eyperanthus), and the Speckled Wood (Pyrarga .Egeria), 

 have a partiahty for shady places, and their caterpillars are 

 found in or near roads feeding on grasses. In all of the 

 Satyrs save the Speckled Wood there appears to be only one 

 emergence of butterflies each year, though the whole brood 

 does not come out at once, since we may observe specimens 

 on the wing through as long a period as six weeks or more in 

 some summers. S'arious grasses afford food to all the eater- 

 pillars which hybernate, feeding-up in April find May. None 

 of these species are in any way harmful. 



We have now reached the second division of the " Exposers," 

 and here we find the pupa is invariably " girted " — that is, a 

 narrow or broadisli belt of silk is passed round the middle, 

 securing it to the surface on which it rests. The butterflies 

 have also six perfect legs. The bulk of the butterflies in this 

 division belong to tho first group or section of the two it con- 

 tains, being with only one or two exceptions insects of small 

 size, and distiDguishcd by having laivfe woodlouse-shaped. 

 The back of one of these caterpillars usually rises into a ridge, 

 tho figure altogether is " pudgy," while it cliugs so closely to 

 the leaf or twig that the head and legs are not to be teen 

 unless it be forcibly moved. Feediug fre i[UOQtly on low plants, 

 caterpillars small in size and much of the hue of the plants 

 thoy feed upon, arc diffioult to find ; eeverU, indeed, are still 

 unknown in England, common though the butterflies may be. 

 Fortunately none of these caterpillars are injurious. At the 

 head of the list appear the Ilairstreak?, of tho genus Thecla, 

 mostly rapid fliers, fond of sporting in the air a dozen or more 

 feet from the ground. One species (T. Eubi), it appears must 

 be singular in habit, if as an entomologist asserts, it has the 

 power of rendering itself invisible. Of covirse anything may 

 become invisible when it is too far off for you to see it, but if I 

 rightly understand his statement, he means to say that the 

 butterfly by some manoeuvre manages to ba close to you and 

 yet prevent your seeing it. Conjurors ought really to look 

 after this insect, as some specimens might be trained to be 

 useful. Seldom do any of these visit gardens, but flowers. 



especially Bramble blossom, much delight them, from which 

 they can be swept off with a cautious stroke of the net. 



The lively common Copper (Polyommatus Phloeas) may be 

 seen on various days in the summer along garden walks, some- 

 times engaged in a mimic conflict with a specimen of the aj 

 common Blue butterfly called Lycccua icarus, both having a 

 tolerably quick and discursive flight, though the honey of 

 flowers offors some attraction to them. Of the little Copper 

 there seem to be three flights in the year. The Azure I31ae 

 (Lycrcua argiolus) is another Blue likely to be seen near 

 shrubberies, as the caterpillar feeds en the Ivy or Holly. 

 Other Blues, of which we have seven or eight species (in some, 

 however, the blue being replaced by brown, especially in the 

 females), make the rural scene in summer more agreeable to 

 the stroller ; the larva) devouring in a modest way such plants 

 as Trefoils aud Vetches. 



The second section of the butterflies with girted pupa; com- 

 prehends those species which in every season do a certain 

 amount of damage, chiefly in tho kitchen garden. Their 

 caterpillars are cvlindrical, with the head and legs distinctly 

 visible, and the body is sprinkled with a few hairs. The 

 Whites at once occur to us as illustrations of the group, but, 

 in fact, from only two have we auything to apprehend. 

 Perhaps the Large White (Pieris brassioie) is on the whole the 

 more injurious species, though the Small White (P. rapse) is 

 less limited in its choice of food plants, the caterpillars show- 

 ing themselves in flower beds on the Nasturtium and other 

 Cruciferse, on Tropreolums and Mignonette. Of these butter- 

 flies there are evidently several broods during a season. The 

 Green-veined (P. uapi), on the testimony of the late Edward 

 Newman, does not resort to cultivatod plants, nor does the 

 Wood Whit'i (Leucopbasia siuapis), a rather local insect. 

 Conspicuous species in this group are the Brimstone, the 

 Clouded Yellow, and that rare lover of fens, the Swallow-tail, 

 while the pretty Orange-tip, near akin to the Whites, appears 

 for a week or two in spring even in the vicinity of London. 



Lastly, with brief mention we dismiss the " Concealers," 

 representing a very large foreign group of butterflies. Our six 

 British species are known by tho name of Skippers, in science 

 the Hesperia\ The most conspicuous species is the Large 

 Skipper (H. sylvanus), and as it goes from flower to flower in 

 a sluggish way unless alarmed, it reminds us of a moth rather 

 than a butterfly ; and in all tho Skippers when settled the 

 wings are raised above the body, moth fashion. — J. E. S. C. 



REVIEW. 



The Cactus and other Tropical Succulents. By H. Allnbtt, 

 200, Fleet Street. 

 This is a neatly-bound and well-printed little compilation of 

 130 pages. It appears that Mr. Allautt made himself a plant 

 case 3 feet long, 22 inches wide, 21 inches high at the back, and 

 12 at tho front. The lower portion is of wood ; the remainder 

 glass. A zinc tray covers tho bottom of the case, and above 

 this tray a miniature stage of six shelves is formed for the 

 plants. In this tiny greenhouse, which is placed on a table 

 near the window of his living roou;, the owner has contrived to 

 arrange about sixty tiny plants of Cjcti and other succulents. 

 These have given him much p'.easure, and he has conceived 

 that a brief account of them would stimulate other amateurs to 

 have recourse to tho s.^me mode of making their dwellings in- 

 teresting, and grow these quaint and easily-managed plants. 

 The remaining portion of the book, and by far the most valu- 

 able, is made up of extracts (duly acknowledged) from "Lou- 

 don's Encyclopedia of Plants," the writings of Mr. Jackson of 

 K-iW, Mr. Croucher of Hammersmith, and other growers of 

 small and curinus plants. These extracts stamp the book with 

 an authority which it could not otherwise posses?, and render 

 it worthy of being recommended to tho notice of amateurs aud 

 others who are interested in a f.imily of interesting plants. 

 Several of the species are illustrated in a manner sufficient to 

 show their peculiar characteristics. To give quotations would 

 be the cxIrROtiug of extracted matte;'. 



BARBAROSSA GRAPE. 



In compliance with the request of " J. W." on page 53 1 

 submit my experience. I have two rods of Black Barbarossa 

 growing in a house with iMuEca's, Gro3 Colmau, and Lady 

 Downe's. I have had bunches of Bliok Baibarossa this season 

 1« incLfS long, 13 iii';Ucs across, and weighing from 4 to 5 lbs. 

 each. The berries were as black as sloes ; aud the flavour, 



