Covent Gay^den MarJcet. 287 



very troublesome upon my vines last year, by eating the leaves. They always 

 fed in the night, and hid themselves in crevices during the day. When shaken 

 off the tree upon the ground, they remained motionless, as if dead ; and, 

 being of a dirty black colour, they were by no means easily discovered. We 

 never had this insect till last year, when they appeared in great numbers." — 

 J. B. W. Kiplin, Catterick, April 21. 1837. 



Where do the larvae of these vine and peach-feeding individuals live ? — 

 J. O. W. May 17. 1837. 



Br^^c/^^« phi. — Seeing, on the cover of j'our Magazine for April, 1837, 

 that you request gardeners, bailiffs, and others to forward any kind of insects 

 to you for Mr. Westwood's examination, I send these, of which I shall 

 shortly give you the history. I received two packets of early Dutch peas, 

 which were distributed among the members of the Hampshire Horticultural 

 Society, on March 10. 1837. When I came to open the packets to sow the 

 peas, about the beginning of April, I found them full of the insects sent, 

 which were such as I had never observed before. I then determined to for- 

 ward one of the packets to you, in the hope through that means to know its 

 name, and if it is common. — A Constant Reader. Winchester, May 15. 1837. 



The insects sent with this communication are the Eruchus pisi of Linnseus, 

 in a living state. This species, according to that author, is indigenous to 

 North America, but is now, unfortunately, completely naturalised in the 

 north of Europe, although, seventy years ago, it was only known in the 

 more southerly parts of this continent. Of this insect Kirby and Spence 

 observe : " In a late stage of growth, great havoc is often made in peas by 

 the grub of a small beetle (Eruchus granarius i.), which will sometimes lay 

 an egg in every pea of a pod, and thus destroy it. In this country, however, 

 the mischief caused by the ^riichus is seldom very serious ; but in North 

 America another species (i?. pisi i.) is most alarmingly destructive; its 

 ravages being at one time so universal as to put an end, in some places, to 

 the cultivation of that favourite pulse. No wonder, then, that Kalm should 

 have been thrown into such a trepidation, upon discovering some of these 

 pestilent insects just disclosed in a parcel of peas he had brought from that 

 country, lest he should be the instrument of introducing so fatal an evil into 

 his beloved Sweden." {Introd. to Ent., vol. i. p. 178.) 



Here it is evident that the injury is caused to unhoused peas. But Stephens, 

 speaking of this insect, says, " Found occasionally within the metropolitan 

 district ; but, I suspect, not a truly indigenous species : it sometimes abounds 

 in depositories of peas to a very destructive extent." (I/lusfr., vol. iv. p. 213.) 

 Its precise habits, with indications of the periods occupied in its transform- 

 ations, and especially of the time when it arrives at the perfect state, have not 

 been ascertained, although very necessary, as the destruction of the beetle, 

 previous to laying its eggs, would greatly prevent the spreading of the mis- 

 chief.— J. 0. W. May 17. 1837. 



P.S. I observe that, in almost every instance, it is the largest peas which 

 are attacked. The insects are still enclosed in some of them. 



Art. V. Covent Garden MarJcet. 

 The continuation of cold weather during the principal part of the present 

 month has prevented the market from being supplied in its usual abun- 

 dance at this season : in consequence, prices have ruled rather higher for 

 articles generally in demand ; such as asparagus, which has realised high 

 prices, especially in the early part of the month, before any from the natural 

 ground had been furnished : at present the supply is very limited, the quality 

 good, and prices moderate. Of peas, we have as yet had but very few, and 

 those have by no means been in request. Early spring cabbages are in de- 

 mand, with coleworts, spinach, &c. ; but little broccoli, of the late varieties, 

 is now to be oi)served. Rhubarb is very plentiful, and certainly very cheap : 

 on Saturday last, sixteen waggon and four cart-loads, besides a considerable 



