THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Mosses continued. 



ornamental. Mosses do not thrive well in fully-drained 

 soils, hence the drainage ought to be at once seen to when 

 these plants begin to be troublesome in gardens. The 

 soil may advantageously be top-dressed with lime, or with 

 mixtures of lime and sulphur, or of soot and salt, or 

 with compounds of ammonia, e.g., ammonium sulphate 

 (ilb. to 1 gallon of water). Mosses and Lichens' on trees 

 may prove hurtful if closely covering the bark, since 

 they keep it too moist, thus promoting the growth 

 of parasitic Fungi under their shelter ; and this may result 

 in the death of the branches. Mosses and Lichens may 

 also give shelter to parasitic insects, especially to 

 Aphides, and to various Larvae during winter. The plants 

 of Moss and Lichen themselves, probably, do not absorb 

 any nourishment from the trees ; yet, for the above 

 reasons, they should be removed. This may be done 

 by vigorous brushing after rain has fallen pretty heavily 

 for some hours, as they are more loosely attached while 

 soaked. The branches should be then well washed with 

 a solution of soft soap and lime. Dead branches loaded 

 with Lichens and Mosses should be removed. Newly- 

 slaked lime may be scattered among the overgrowth 

 with advantage. Excessive growth of such plants on 

 branches of trees may be a good deal lessened by judi- 

 ciously thinning plantations, and by pruning the indi- 

 vidual trees, so as to insure free access of air and light. 



MOTHER OF THOUSANDS. See Linaria 

 Cymbalaria. The name is also applied to Bellis 

 perennis prolifera and Saxifraga sarmentosa. 



MOTH, FLAT -BODY. See Flat, body Moth, 

 Common. 



MOTHS (Heterocera). Under this name are denoted 

 such of the order Lepidoptera, or scale-winged insects, 

 as are not included among the Butterflies (Rhopalocera). 

 (See Insects for the characters that distinguish Lepi- 

 doptera from other insects.) Butterflies are a far more 

 uniform group than Moths, and differ from them in 

 having the antennas, or feelers, almost always clubbed 

 at the tip, but elsewhere slender. Rhopalocera means 

 club-horned. Their wings are usually folded back, when 

 at rest, so as to display the lower surface, which often 

 bears bright colours; and the body is usually slender. 

 Moths, on the other hand, have the antennae sharp- 

 pointed, with no club, but otherwise variable, being 

 branched, slender, feathery, or of some other form. 

 Heterocera means varied-horned. Some have the body 

 slender, and the wings folded, as in Butterflies, in which 

 case, the lower surface is seldom conspicuously coloured ; 

 but usually the body of the insect is heavy, without 

 marked distinction between the middle body (thorax) 

 and the hind body (abdomen) ; and the wings are usually 

 folded flat on the back, the hind wings being so folded, 

 lengthwise, as to lie entirely below the narrower fore- 

 wings when at rest. In almost all, the two wings on each 

 side are connected by a bristle, or a tuft of stiff hairs, 

 that projects from the front edge of the hind wing, and 

 plays in a kind of socket or ring on the fore-wing. 

 It is more difficult to state any constant differences 

 between the caterpillars of Butterflies and Moths than 

 between the perfect insects, though it is usually possible 

 for a practised entomologist to distinguish the groups 

 even in this stage; and so also with the pup. 



Moths are of far greater practical importance than 

 Butterflies, for the caterpillars of several species do very 

 serious injury to fruit-trees, to potherbs, and to other 

 cultivated plants. It is possible to ward off, or at least 

 to lessen, the evil done by such species in some cases ; 

 but in others the insects are so well protected in the 

 leaves, or other parts of plants, as to render remedial 

 measures practically hopeless ; and the affected parts, or 

 the entire plants, must be destroyed to prevent exten- 

 sion of the injury. 



Moths continued. 



There is usually little difficulty in recognising the 

 caterpillars of Lepidoptera, the only other group of 

 insects in which somewhat similar larvae are found being 

 the Sawflies, among the Hymenoptera. But, while they 

 retain a strong general likeness, they yet vary exceed- 

 ingly in many points, such as the number of prolegs, 

 or fleshy legs, on the hinder rings of the body; the 

 colour and markings ; and the skin, in some smooth, in 

 others warty, or covered with hairs, bristles, or long 

 spines. Nor are they less varied in their habits and 

 modes of life, though, with few exceptions, they feed 

 on, or in, living plants. The larvae of a great majority 

 of the Butterflies, and those of many Moths, live on 

 the surface of the leaves, or other organs of thoir food- 

 plants, exposed to full view. Frequently, such exposed 

 larvae are brightly coloured; but, on experiment, it has 

 often been found that they are distasteful to birds, 

 because of unpleasant fluids thrown out by them, or 

 of the hairs or spines on their bodies. The cater- 

 pillars of most Moths feed hidden from view in some 

 way. The concealment is secured, by some, by hiding 

 below the soil, or in crevices, during the day, and 

 crawling out to feed only during night. Others roll up 

 leaves, or spin two or more together, and feed in shelter 

 of the cover so formed; while others combine to form 

 large webs (see Hawthorn Caterpillars), in which 

 they lie, and feed protected. Many others bore into the 

 roots or stems of plants (see Leopard Moth), or 

 between the surfaces of leaves (see Leaf Miners), and 

 thus find food, as well as protection. A few others, 

 chiefly small kinds, prefer dead and dried vegetable or 

 animal products, snch as corn, peas, woollen cloths, 

 bees' combs, &c. ; and these are frequently very trouble- 

 some in houses. 



The methods of remedying injuries caused by larvae 

 of Moths, and of preventing future attacks, must depend 

 largely on the habits of the insects, both in the perfect 

 and the larval stages of development. They are men- 

 tioned under Insects (which see), and under special 

 tribes or genera, noted below. Moths pass through a 

 complete metamorphosis. The larvae seek out safe 

 retreats in which to become pupae, or chrysalides. 

 These retreats may be in crevices, or in the galleries 

 made by them in the plants ; or among dead leaves ; or 

 under the soil, in earthen cells, lined with silk. Less 

 often they spin a silken cocoon, in some exposed situa- 

 tion, and trust to this covering for their protection. 

 The pupae are defenceless, with the limbs all firmly 

 bound down to the body by a hard shell or coating of 

 chitine. The only power of motion they possess is that 

 of wriggling some of the hinder rings of the body. In 

 the pupa-case the Moth becomes fully developed; it 

 then bursts the case, along the front half of the back, 

 and crawls out, with the wings small and soft at first. 

 But these organs at once begin to grow, and in an hour 

 or two they reach their full size, and soon become firm, 

 and fit for flight. 



The females of various kinds of Moths (see Hybernia) 

 never have the wings useful for flight ; but in them 

 the wings remain small, or may even be entirely absent. 

 Moths form several well-marked tribes ; though these 

 grade into one another in such a way that it is difficult, 

 at times, for a beginner to distinguish to which tribe 

 certain individuals belong. The more reliable distinctive 

 characters of the groups are noted below. 



Most kinds of Moths can be reared with comparative 

 ease, from the larval state, in confinement; hence, the life- 

 histories of these insects are far more thoroughly known 

 than those of any other group. But it would be beyond 

 the scope of this work to enter on the methods of 

 rearing, capturing, and preparing Moths for permanent 

 preservation, despite the interest of such pursuits. 



Moths are divided into two great sections: the Macro- 



