Garden Friends 



2OI 



halotidea), shown at fig. 162, is one of these. It is about 2 in. long, deep 

 yellow in colour, and may be recognized by a small ear-shaped shell 

 attached to its back, just above the tail. During the daytime it nests in 

 the soil, and is often turned up when digging; but at night-time it roves 

 abroad in search of the common slugs and snails, and makes war upon 

 them. A foreign species, from South Europe (T. Maugei), has become 

 naturalized near Bristol, and 

 may spread throughout the 

 milder parts of the kingdom in 

 time if encouraged. It has a 

 dark-brown body with a larger 



shell than the native Species. Fig. 162. Ear-shelled Slug (Testacella hulotidea) 



Cultivators should become ac- 

 quainted with these friendly molluscs, and should educate their employees 

 to take care of them. 



Spiders. The true spiders, being perfectly harmless to plants, and 

 living upon various kinds of insects, should never be destroyed by gar- 

 deners, although their webs and nests often present a very untidy appear- 

 ance if allowed to remain in potting sheds, greenhouses, lofts, &c. The 

 common garden spider, known as Epeira diademata, is a pretty, greyish 

 insect beautifully speckled or spotted with white on the back of its 

 roundish abdomen. It lives upon moths and flies of various kinds, and 

 will easily defeat a vicious wasp in a straight fight by 

 winding its silken cords around it. 



A kind of leaping spider (Epiblemum scenicum), 

 shown in fig. 163, leaps about amongst plants, and 

 pounces upon its prey. It is grey in colour with oblique 

 white bands on the back of the abdomen and legs. 



The Weasel. Amongst animals the weasel must be 

 regarded as a friend of the cultivator, as it destroys 

 rats, mice, voles, rabbits; but it also destroys poultry, 

 and its assistance is generally regarded as a doubtful 

 blessing. 



Centipedes. Although belonging to the same group as the Millipedes 

 or Julus worms the Centipedes (Geophilus subterraneus) are not harmful 

 to crops. On the contrary they are beneficial, inasmuch as they feed on 

 insects, caterpillars, worms, snails, and slugs; they are active and flesh- 

 eating insects, and should be preserved for the good they do. 



From what has been said above it may be taken that although nature 

 has sent many insects to plague and worry the cultivator of plants, it has 

 also provided antidotes in the way of birds of all kinds, Ichneumon Flies, 

 Ladybirds, Lacewing Flies, Tiger and other Beetles, Frogs, Toads, and 

 Lizards, Hawkflies, Spiders, and even Slugs, by which they may be kept 

 in check. Unfortunately, with the many poisonous washes now in use it 

 is possible that when applying them the cultivator is slaughtering his 

 friends as well as his enemies. Indeed he is practically not even on 



Kig. 163. Epiblemum 

 scenicum (twice natural 

 size) 



