490 



JODBNAL OF HOBTIODLTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB, 



( Jane 22, 1876. 



measured intervals." Of the fourth family — the Cimioidte, 

 only containing four Bpeoiea — it will suffice to say that the 

 beet known of these is the bed-bug, wingleBS as are its 

 brethren. In the Tingidse group we have a number of insects, 

 mostly feeding on plants ; theee are small insects with flattened 

 bodies and a short three-jointed beak. Several genera have a 

 fine tracery like network on the wings and thorax. No 

 species is, I believe, so far individualised to the gardener as to 

 need that it be referred to, nor can it be asserted that these 

 bugs do harm to vegetation in field or garden. Of the Capsidse, 

 also small and more delicate in appearance, we cannot speak 

 eo favourably, since many of them bear an evil report, pretty 

 as they are. The family is distinguished by long antennae. 



vacere. In several specieo the pupje hybernate in parties on 



the most sheltered position they can discover. Pyrrhoooris 



apterus, from the scarlet ground colour on which are a couple 



of black spots, has been called the scarlet bug. It must, 



however, be distinguished both from the red spider and a 



scarlet Acarus. It will be seen on examination to poesefB 



wings, though they are imperfectly developed. On the south 



coast of England it has occasionally been noticed in large 



numbers. In the eighth family the Coreidas is observable for 



including species which can run and fly britkly as well, such as 



those in the genus Verlusia ; they possess also the power of 



making a loud humming sound. Coreus hirticornia is wrinkled 



all over, and the wings in several species are covered with 



wrinkles or punctures, and it 



has the antennse fringed with 



hairs, hence the name. The 



little Cymus EesedfiB, with a red 



^rV" -^ ' head and yellow body, is often 



busy on Mignonette; why, it 



n 



FiK. 12."|.— PeNTATOMA GRISF.i. 



also by the shape of the horny part of the hind wings, which 

 form a triangular ridge. A proportion of the eighty species ; 

 in this family are occasional visitants to gardens and con- 

 servatories, some of the species seemingly having a liking 

 for warmth. As they have nearly all the power of emitting 

 a liquid of disagreeable odour their absence rather than their 

 presence is desired by the fruit-grower, who finds them some- 

 times insidiously attacking choice specimens, though they ' 

 seldom come in swarms. If alarmed they generally drop to 

 the ground unless they can run to a hiding-place near at 

 hand. The Lygfeids are also email and slender, banded or 

 spotted. Lygceus equestrie is a showy species, marked with red, 

 black, and white. Some species of the genus Gastrodes have 

 the thighs of the fore legs considerably thickened, suggesting a 

 capacity for springing. These bugs are less partial to the 

 juices of fruits, occurring ou low plants usually, some of the 

 siiecics having a great attachment to plants of the order Mai- 



knows best. But all in this 

 family are presumed to live on 

 the juices of plants or on honey, 

 taking their excursions fre- 

 quently in the bright sunshine. 



The last family of the Auro- 

 eorisa, the ScutelleridK, has 

 representatives which are no 

 strangers to the gardener, and 

 are much disliked by him, 

 though the harm they do is not 

 proportionate to their size. 

 Popularly called, from the pecu- 

 liarity of their shape, " bishops' 

 mitres," or- simply " biehops," 

 these bugs have the propensity, 

 like various others, of giving 

 forth a strong odour, which 

 adheres to any article they may 

 crawl over. Hence they may 

 thus infect the fruit they attack; 

 but it must be stated that in 

 many species this faculty is spar- 

 ingly exercised unless the insects 

 are in danger from some enemy. 

 All in this family have a large 

 scutellum or shield extending 

 over the abdomen ; the beak and 

 the antennffi are long. The fif- 

 teen species of the genus Pen- 

 tatoma are regaling themselves 

 freely this month, continuing 

 out until autumn, and, doubt- 

 less in this, as in the other 

 families, the larva and pupa 

 occur in the same spots as the 

 imago, though more rarely seen. 

 Several species are partial to 

 Cabbages and Cruciferie, and a 

 friend to the order hopes that 

 they, under certain circum- 

 stances, devour insects trouble- 

 some to the gardener. Of this 

 however, there is no evidence. 

 Pentatoma grisea in its vari- 

 ous stages is well represented 



in the accompanying engraving, which has been obligingly 



supplied by Messrs. Cassell & Co.— C. 



ODONTOGLOSSDM VEXILLARIUM. 



"Queen amongst Orchids" was the term justly applied to 

 this magnificent plant when it was figured in the " Botanical 

 Magazine " in 1873. It is not only a plant the flowers of 

 which are of surpassing beauty, but it is an Orchid for all 

 Orchid growers, the plant being of easy culture, producing its 

 flowers profusely. In our description of this Orchid when it 

 was first exhibited, we stated that " such skilful cultivators as 

 Messrs. Veitch will yet astonish the world horticultural, as the 

 plant grows stronger, with an as yet undreamt-of development 

 of its beauties. The colour is a beautiful soft lilac rose, with 

 the base of the lip white and yellow. Poor David Bowman 

 who went out a few years ago as a botanical collector to South 



