592 



JOOENAL OF HOBTIODLTDEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



[ Ducembcr 81, 1874. 



of Drilus flavescens ia the destrnction of slugs and snails. 

 According to Mr. Wood its favourite food is tbe familiar garden 

 species called Helix nemoralis. Possibly the matured insects 

 attack these molluscs, but it is to the larvre we are chiefly in- 

 debted. These larvae are flat, of a pale brown colour, and 

 with two ridges down the back, composed of small protuber- 

 ances, each tufted with hair, which probably serve to shield 

 the larvfE from some parasitic enemies. They cannot need pro- 

 tection from the weather generally, as much of their life is 

 passed within the shells of snails, and within these they always 

 hide when changing their skins. One of the most curious 

 features displayed by this larva is a tail feature, so to speak, 

 somewhat resembling the telescopic process which adorns the 

 larva of the glow-worm. In the Drilus it is more like a lobe, 

 pretty strong and flexible ; and what is remarkable, the larva 

 is supposed to attack snails by backing into them, a proceed- 

 ing certainly not agreeable to the molluscous creature, which 

 having no dufensive weapon can do nothing but eject slime, 

 and this cannot annoy the tail of the Drilus larva, though it 

 might be unpleasant to its head. Having forced its way into 

 the shell the larva eats-up the proper tenant at its leisure. 

 Unlike most of the larvm of beetles, that of D. flavescens has 

 a number of short legs, which help it to hold on firmly in its 

 slimy abode. 



Allied to the last is the group of beetles we call the Tele- 

 phori, nearly all soft-bodied in the beetle condition, and yet 

 connected by their structure with the hard-bodied " Skip-jacks " 

 of the Elater division, amongst which we have the terrible pest 

 the " Wireworm." The Telephori are better known, perhaps, 

 to children than to the majority of adults, as it is a favourite 

 amusement with juveniles to watch these on the flowers of the 

 garden, the reddish-yellow species being saluted as "soldiers," 

 and the bluish or black species with tawny legs hailed as 

 " sailors." They may be considered as ornaments to the gar- 

 den, rather more abundant usually in the kitchen than in the 

 flower garden, and not at all iujurious, that I am aware of, 

 unless they may cause alarm to some of those fanciful in- 

 dividuals who cannot bear to touch an insect. These Tele- 

 phori, of which we have more than twenty British species, are 

 carnivorous in habit, though they may occasionally nibble the 

 petals of flowers. From their partiality to the various plants 

 of the Umbelliferous order, it may be surmised that they seize 

 the small flies and weevils which crowd on the flower-buds of 

 such species. Boys pit a "soldier" against a "sailor," and 

 the two will often engage in a sharp combat ; but it is nearly as 

 easy to induce two of the same species to fight as two distant 

 relatives, the " law of brotherhood " not being observed by 

 them, and what is still worse, beetles of opposite sexes will 

 quarrel. And yet the delicate appearance of the beetles and 

 their somewhat tardy movements (for though they can fly well 

 they seem reluctant to employ their wings), would make us 

 fancy them quite of a pacific sort. The larvm if unsightly do 

 not obtrude themselves on notice, and most if not all are car- 

 nivorous like the perfect insect. Some of them feed on earth- 

 worms, and on small grubs of various kinds that are found 

 just beneath the surface of the ground. Should we unearth 

 one, we perceive that it is of moderately stout build, the sides 

 of the body made strong by ridges, and the head adapted for 

 digging as well as killing. These feed at intervals during the 

 winter, and are active in April and May, when they are full- 

 grown. The pupa state is brief in duration. — J. R. S. C. 



NOTES FEOM NICE. 

 Whilst we are receiving accounts of the very cold and 

 snowy weather prevailing in England, Scotland, and many 

 parts of France, we are hero enjoying the warmth of a southern 

 sua, and only see some of the snow on the mountains at a dis- 

 tance. The Maritime Alps are now well covered, and present 

 a very fine appearance. There has been a little frost at night. 

 Boon dispersed by the rays of the sun. The flowers in the 

 market and at the various magazines are still in considerable 

 abundance. The Tea and other Eoses very beautiful, with 

 HeUotropes, Jasmine, Tuberose, Violets, Abutilons, and 

 various sorts of Hyacinths and Narcissi now coming into 

 bloom, all growing out of doors. Large Primulas in pots are 

 sold at fifty centimes each, and large handsome bouquets with 

 Orange blossom and Mignonette for a franc. Some of the 

 principal plants now in blossom in the public and other gar- 

 dens (open air) are Eriobotrya japonica (Japan Medlar), Acacia 

 tomentosa, Siphocampylua bicolor, Calycanthus prasoox, 

 Abutilon venustum and striatum, Justicia Adhatoda, Spar- 



mannia africana. Hibiscus africanus, Eaphiolepis indica (beau- 

 tiful), Frejliuia cestroides, Habrothamnus elegans; Salvia 

 involucrata, eriocalyx, splendens, and many others too nu- 

 merous to mention. 



There is now in blossom at the Villa Znylen, at the back of 

 the Villa Bermond, in the Quarter St. Etienne, a splendidly 

 large specimen of the (in England) rare plant IBougainvillffia 

 spectabilis, covering the front cif the peasants' house with its 

 beautiful pink bracts, or what would be more popularly called 

 flowers. The real flower is contained within the terminal 

 coloured bracts or leaves. This plant is well worthy of a visit ; 

 and there is also in front of the viUa one of the most magni- 

 ficent Date-bearing Palms in the neighbourhood, with several 

 other rare plants in flower also (Dec. 22nd). — Edward Copland. 



BAKOMETEE AND THERMOMETER TABLE AT NICE FOE THE WEEK 

 ENDING 16th DECEMBER, 1874. 



Doc. 10 

 Dec. 11 

 Dec. 1-2 

 Dec. 14 

 Dec. 15 

 Dec. 16 



Davs. 



Thursday . . 



Friday 



Saturday . . 

 Monday .... 



Tuesday 



Wednesday . 



S a 



u 



9 A.M. Noon. 6 P.M. 



20.4 

 2n.6 

 29 3 

 29.4 

 29.5 

 29.5 



Thermometer hung facing the 

 North. 



49 

 4B 

 49 

 42 

 42 

 41 



66 

 51 

 S> 

 45 

 40 

 49 



48 

 45 

 40 

 42 

 44 

 41 



IMaxi- ' Mini- 

 mum. L mum. 



58 

 52 

 58 

 49 

 61 

 50 



44 

 40 

 41 

 40 

 40 

 39 



Sl(yat 

 Noon. 



Cloudy. 



Cloudy. 



Fair. 



Clondy. 



Cloudy. 



Fair. 



MONT D'OR BUTTER BEAN. 



In reply to Mr. Hester's strictures, I may observe that tastes 

 differ, and so do cooks. I maintain that the Bean is au 

 excellent one, greatly superior to other kinds in the quality, 

 but not in the quantity of its produce. For this important 

 reason I strongly recommend it. The only objection that can 

 fairly be advanced against it is on the score of colour, which 

 is certainly " yellowish green ;" but whether this is a blemish 

 or not is a mere matter of opinion, and does not at all affect 

 its real value. Will Mr. Bester allow mo to suggest another 

 trial and a pair of green spectacles ? then, if he is sure of his 

 cook, I venture to hope that he will allow at least some merit 

 in that which he now bo sweepingly condemns. — Edward 

 LncicnuRST. 



POETKAITS OF PLANTS, FLOWERS, AND 

 FRUITS. 



Ehedm officinale. Nat. ord., Polygonaceas. Xinn., Enneau- 

 dria Trigynia. — " According to the evidence hitherto obtained, 

 this grand plant (which is certainly the handsomest of all the 

 Rheums, except the Himalayan It. nobile), is that which pro- 

 duces much if not all the Turkey Ehubarb of the pharma- 

 copa;ia. It is a native of and also cultivated in eastern and 

 south-eastern Tibet, and was sent thence by the French 

 missionaries to M. Dabry, the French Consul at Hankow. 

 M. Dabry sent plants to M. Soubeu'an, Secretary of the 

 Jardin d'Acclimatation of Paris, where they flowered at Mont- 

 morency in 1871. 



" An excellent history of this plant is given in Fluckiger and 

 Hanbury's ' Pharmacographia,' quoted above, from which it 

 appears not to be certain that the true Turkey Rhubarb of 

 commerce is derived exclusively from this plant, though the 

 evidence of the missionaries who discovered it, that it is the 

 main source of that drug, is supported by the fact that there 

 is no important discrepancy between this E. officinale and the 

 imperfect and scanty accounts and figures of the Chinese 

 authors and early French missionaries. From the same work 

 we learn that the drug was known to the Chinese long anterior 

 to the Christian era, and was described in a work dedicated to 

 the Emperor Shen-nung, the father of Chinese agriculture and 

 medicine, who lived about 2700 e.c. Also that Marco Polo is 

 the only traveller w)io has visited the districts yielding Ehubarb, 

 in the mountains uf one of which (Tangut) he describes it as 

 growing in great abundance; this, however, is au error, for an 

 account of it will be found in the travels of Bell of Antermony 

 (vol. i. p. 384-387), who found it in Mongoha, growing abund- 

 antly near marmot burrows. One of its most remarkable 

 characteristics is its stout very distinct stem, which, and not 

 the root, is considered to be the source of the Ehubarb in the 

 view of M. BaOlon, and no doubt correctly." — (Bot. Mag., 

 t. 6135.) 



ErisciA FULGiDA. Nal. ord., Gesnetiacea;. Linn., Didy- 



