Febraary 2, 1871. ] 



J0UE:SAL of HOETICULTUKE and cottage GAliDENEE, 



87 



°aterpillars, abstinence in warm weather is very trying. It 

 has been questioned whether birds attack hairy caterpillars. 

 No doubt some species do, though others are repelled by this 

 means of defence, especially when the individual attacked has 

 the power, like the present species, of presenting, by rolling 

 into a ring, a surface of hairs in every direction. Were it not 

 for this, as the Tiger Caterpillar feeds conspicuously, its num- 

 bers would soon be diminished considerably. As it is, we 

 notice it to be one of the very commonest of caterpillars both 

 in gardens and in uncultivated places, its favourite food-plants 

 in the latter spots being Docks and dead Nettles. Most partial 

 to the kitchen garden, the caterpillar of the Tiger Moth at 

 times turns up on the flower beds, and may even be detected 

 feasting on fruit trees, or disfiguring a choice Pelargonium. 

 One circumstance tending to account for its abundance is the 

 number of eggs deposited by the Moth (stated in some books 

 at 800 or 900; in a case, where I counted what I believe was 

 the whole batch of a female in confinement, the number was 

 about 600), and these are laid in clusters through the sluggish- 

 ness of the Moths ; in fact, they seem rarely to take any exten- 

 sive flight. The principal business of the young caterpillars 

 during the autumn appears to be the changing of their skins ; 

 o£ these several follow in succession without much increase of 

 size. Ceasing to eat as winter approaches, they retire usually 

 to the roots of the herbage, or, in gardens, to some nook or 

 cranny, there to remain until spring, at whose advent they at 

 once set to work again, but, growing rather slowly, are seldom 

 full fed until June. The cocoon is plentifully besprinkled with 

 the hairs of the caterpillar, which have an unpleasant irritating 

 effect upon the human skin, though this has been questioned, 

 and the effect ascribed to some fluid of a pungent nature ejected 

 by the caterpillar. Certain it is that the Moth when fresh 

 from the chrysalis does possess the power of ojeeting, from 

 some apparatus behind the head, an acid liquid which causes 

 smarting. The upper wings, which have given the species its 

 tigrine name, are variable in their marking, as also sometimes 

 the hind wings, usually adorned with blue-black spots on a red 

 ground. An entomologist reared some of the most remarkable 

 types of the darker varieties by feeding the caterpillars on 

 Coltsfoot and Butterbur. Nevertheless, it is the opinion of a 

 moiety of the students of this branch of natural history, that 

 these departures from the normal colouring are results of 

 disease. 



Amongst the names of terror in Eastern lands, none are more 

 appalling to the husbandman than that of the Locust. Only 

 three years ago we find that the ravages committed in Algeria 

 by the species were something appalling, thoagb millions of 

 them were slaughtered. The term Locust is applied even in 

 our country in a loose way to various destructive or conspicu- 

 OUB insects, as, for instance, singularly and inappropriately, to 

 the caterpillar of the Death's-head Hawk (Acherontia Atropos), 

 not uncommon at times in the midland counties, an occasional 

 visitant in others. Bat the question has been often asked with 

 some interest. Does the oriental Locust ever make its way 

 here, and is there any danger of its doing us serious injury ? 

 Many specimens of the Orthopterous order had been sent from 

 different places to the Editor of the " Entomologist," who 

 stated that he had doubts whether the true Locust did occur 

 in Britain. Mr. "Walker's researches, published in last year's 

 " Entomologist," tend to prove that there are two species, and 

 one of these, the Migratory Locust of South Enssia (Pachytylus 

 migratorius), which also occurs in Switzerland, the South of 

 Prance, and Spain, has occasionally made its way to our shores. 

 There seems to be still some doubt whether this species com- 

 mits ravages in Syria and Egypt. A number of these were 

 noticed on the coasts of Aberdeenshire, and solitary specimens 

 have been picked up elsewhere. At the discussion which took 

 place at the meeting of the Entomological Society in March 

 last it was asserted that examples of the true African Locust 

 had been taken here, but the nomenclature being confused, the 

 faot is still questionable. In our case I imagine we have little 

 to fear from this species, which, in spite of the long migrations 

 it makes, is peculiarly liable to be affected by atmospheric 

 influences. — J. E. S. C. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 

 AccoEDiNG to Nature the large conservatory for Orchidacf eb 

 in the Jakcin des Plantes at Paris has been destroyed by a 

 Prussian shell. The glass-work was broken, and the plants, 

 which are so delicate, were lost without any hope of recovery] I 

 The losses are very serious, as the collection had many valu! \ 



able specimens obtained from the occupation of Mexico, and 

 from the exertions of the French Scientific Commission, which 

 had been sent to America to explore the empire of the unfortu- 

 nate Maximilian. M. Chevreuil, the Director of the Museum^ 

 has addressed to the Academy of Sciences the following pro- 

 test : — " The garden of medicinal plants, founded in Paris by 

 an edict of King Louis XIII,, dated January 3, 1626, became 

 a Museum of Natural History on the 23rd May, 1794. It was 

 bombarded in the reign of Wilham I., King of Prussia, Count 

 Bismarck being Chancellor, by the Prussian army, on the night 

 of the 8th- 9th January 1871. Until then it had been respected 

 by all parties, and by all national and foreign authorities. 

 Paris, January 9, 1871." The Academy has determined that 

 the protest of M. Chevreuil shall be printed at the head of its 

 reports, and the Committee of Professors of the Museum have 

 decided that a marble monument, with an inscription of the 

 protest, shall be placed in one of the galleries of the building, 

 surrounded with projectiles thrown from the enemy's batteries. 



A.MOXGST the new arrangements made by the Eotai;. 



HoETicnLTUEAL SOCIETY for the present season we have to 

 announce the following : — Mr. Eyles, Superintendent of the So- 

 ciety's garden at South Kensington, retires from that ofiice, 

 and is succeeded by Mr. Barron, who will for the future act aa 

 the Society's Garden Superintendent at South Kensington and 

 Chiswick, thus combining the management of the two gardens 

 in one. The position which Mr. Eyles will retain is that of 

 Superintendent of Flower Shows, in conjunction with his pro- 

 fCBsion as a landscape gardener. 



Messes. Caetek & Co., Seedsmen, Holborn, have offered 



the following Phizes foe Vegetables grown by bond fide 

 gentlemen's gardeners, or gentlemen amateurs, without forcing, 

 in the open ground, to be awarded at the meetings of the Eoyal 

 Horticultural Society during the present year — viz., Maij nth. 

 — Piize £L 10s., for the best dish of Carter's First Crop 

 Pea, 1 peck. Prize £1 10s., for the best dish of Early Peas,, 

 not First Crop, 1 peck. June 7th. — 1st prize £2 2k. ; 2nci 

 £1 Is,, for the oest ihree dishes of Peas (to include Alpha and, 

 Invicta) — i.e., Early White, Early Eound Blue, and Early 

 Wrinkled Peas. June 27th. — A silver cup or £10; 2 ud prize 

 £2, for the best collection of Vegetables, including Laxton's 

 Supreme, Carter's Hundredfold, Laxton's Quality, Dwarf Water- 

 loo, and two other Varieties of Peas. July 5th. — 1st prize 

 £2 2s, ; 2nd £1 Is., for the best six dishes of Peas, to include 

 Laxton's Supreme, Carter's Hundredfold, and Laxton's Quality, 

 July 19th. — 1st prize £2 2s. ; 2nd £1 Is,, for the best collection 

 of Vegetables, to include thrte dishes of Peas (including Carter's 

 Imperial Wonder and Laxton's Supreme), Carter's Improved 

 Garnishing Parsley, and Carter's Giant White Cos Lettuce. 

 August 16th. — Ist prize £2 2s,; 2nd £1 Is., for the best collec- 

 tion of Vegetables, to include Carter's Champion Eunner Beans 

 and three dishes of Peas (including Carter's Imperial Tl^onder 

 and Carter's Wonder of the World). Septeniber (jth. — 1st prize 

 £2 2s,; 2nd £1 Is,, for the best collection of Onions, to include 

 the New Giant Eocca of Naples, Giant White Tripoli, and 

 Neapolitan Marzagole, September 20th. — Ist prize £2 2s. ; 2nd 

 £1 Is., for the best collection of Vegetables, to include Carter's 

 Dwarf Crimson Celery, Carter's Dwarf Mammoth Cauliflower,, 

 New Giant Eocca Onion, Kohl Eabi, three dishes of Peas (to 

 include Carter's Imperial Wonder), and Carter's Perfection of 

 Beets, October ith.—lst prize £2 2s. ; 2nd £1 Is., for the best 

 collection of American Potatoes, six varieties. November 1st, 

 —1st prize £3 3s, ; 2nd £2 2s,; 3rd £1 Is,, for the best collec- 

 tion of Potatoes, to include Garter's Ashtop Fluke, Cambridge- 

 shire Kidney, Eed-skinned Fiourball, and Carter's Main Crop. 

 Prize £1 Is,, for the best dish of Carter's Main Crop Potato. 

 December 6(,'i.— 1st prize £2 2s. ; 2nd £1 Is., for the best 

 collection of Vegetables, to include Carter's Little Pixie Savoy, 

 Scotch Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Carter's Garnishing Kale, Para- 

 nips, Scorzonera, Salsafy, and Leek. 



THE LATE SEVERE WEATHER. 



Mk, Adderley (page 66) calls attention to the injuries inflicted by 

 the late severe weather, and, no donbt, facts will be revealed which 

 are diflicult to understand, for while he records the temperature with 

 him at 1° below zero, on December 24th, none of the thermometers 

 here (and there are three or four of them) descended belovr 13^, while 

 less than a mile from us a temperature of 5^ was registered, and at ' 

 Tunbridge it had been down to 1^. At some places near Maidstone, P 

 or more below zero was registered, and near Mailing it is said i" 

 below that point. Now, a difference of 16° or 17° at places so near to 

 each other is difficult to understand, altitude not always accounting 



