November 17, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



393 



species which have lived through the winter turn to chrysalides 

 in May, and there is a second brood of the caterpillars in June 

 and July. 



The curious caterpillar of the Scolloped Bar (Scodiora Bel- 

 giaria) occurs on heaths, and is rather uncommon. It may be 

 looked for at this time on patches of the common Ling, near 

 the roots of which it remains in a state of hybernation, rousing 

 itself to eat in April. When alarmed it rolls into a ring, and 

 will remain thus coiled up for an hour. In colour it is brown, 

 with indistinct greyish markings, and a short white stripe near 

 the first pair of claspers. On each segment there are two warts 

 on the back, and there is a conical short horn above the anus, 

 behind which are two longer and slender horns, which are 

 usually pressed closely together. The female caterpillars are 

 perceptibly less in size than the males, a rather unusual cir- 

 cumstance. The cocoon is spun upon the ground ; it is of 

 slight texture. 



On various heaths and commons, though less abundant now 

 than formerly, we find the caterpillar of the Clouded Buff 

 (Euthemonia russula), which, though hatched from the egg in 

 July, does not become adult till the following May. Its favour- 

 ite food-plants are the Mouse-ear Hawkweed and the common 

 Dandelion. At this time it is about one-third grown, and is 

 dull brown in colour, with hairs of a reddish brown, and a 

 faintly indicated stripe down the back. When the weather is 

 favourable it appears to feed on various low plants, as does 

 also the caterpillar of its handsome relative, the Wood Tiger 

 (Chelonia plantagenis), so named from its partiality to plantain. 

 Clearings in woods yield this species, especially in the south, 

 and the caterpillar may be detected in the winter season by the 

 persevering insect-hunter. It is of a greyish black tint, dotted 

 over with numerous warts, and covered with long hairs, which 

 increase in length towards the anal extremity, beiDg black in 

 colour at the head and tail, and reddish brown on the middle 

 segments. In its habits it appears very sluggish, and is also 

 the moth, which is rarely seen on the wing. — J. R. S. Clifford. 

 — (English Mechanic and World of Science.) 



PORTRAITS OF PLANTS, FLOWERS, and FRUITS. 



CEnotheka Whitneyi (Whitney's Evening Primrose). Nat. 

 ord., G5notherace:e. Linn., Octandria Monogynia. — "The 

 most splendid of all the species." Flowers pale pink, blotched 

 towards the claws of the petals with purplish crimson. Native 

 of Shelter Cove, Humboldt County, California. — (Bot. Mag., 

 t. 5867.) 



Serapias cordigera (Heart-lipped Serapias). Serapias 

 lingua (Tongue-lipped Serapias). Nat. ord., OrchidaceiB. 

 Linn., Gynandria Monandria. — Natives of all the countries 

 bordering the Mediterranean except Egypt. Flowers deep 

 French white ; lip of S. cordigera dark purple ; and of S. lingua 

 crimson.— (Ibid., t. 5868.) 



Abisiolochia baebata (Bearded Birthwort). Nat. ord., 

 Aristolochiea?. Linn., Gynandria Hexandria. — Native of Vene- 

 zuela. A very graceful twiner. Flowers pale green and reddish 

 brown, lip clothed inside with purple bristles like a beard. — 

 (Ibid., t. 5869.) 



Geevillea Banksii (Sir Joseph Banks' Grevillea). Nat. ord., 

 Proteacese. Linn., Tetrandria Monogynia. — Native of barren 

 hills in Queensland, Australia. Flowers crimson and yellow. — 

 (Ibid., t. 5870.) 



Dodecatheon Meadia var. erigidum (Arctic American Cow- 

 slip, or Shooting Star). Nat. Ord., Primulaceaa. Linn., Pent- 

 andria Monogynia. — Native of mountain slopes from latitude 

 35° N., in California to the Arctic seacoast. Its flowers are 

 usually lilac and white, but sometimes crimson and white, and 

 even entirely white. — (Ibid., t. 5871.) 



Alpine Auriculas. — John Leech, Selina, and Monarch. — 

 " Seedling Alpine Auriculas have been one of the specialities 

 which, during the last three or four years, Mr. Turner, of 

 Slough, has been in the habit of exhibiting at the spring shows 

 at South Kensington ; and rich and varied in colouring as they 

 are, it is no matter of wonder that they should generally have 

 acted on the admiring crowd as one of the principal centres of 

 attraction. Certainly, few groups of flowers could have been 

 more truly beautiful, while in their beauty few could have 

 more thoroughly combined the elements of simplicity and 

 gaiety; and when to this is added the fact that improvement is 

 manifestly going on amongst them, form and colour proportions 

 being moulded to the florist's standard, who can wonder that 

 the Alpine Auriculas (with the self, perhaps) should, on ac- 



count of their more decided and richer hues, prove more 

 popular, at least in general public assemblies, than their gro- 

 tesque brethren, the greens, the whites, and the greys? — though 

 even these we are glad to see meet with more attention and more 

 admiration than they did a few years ago, and might probably 

 again become popular, if growers could be induced to cultivate 

 them, and exhibit them more freely. 



"John Leech is a rich shaded crimson, smooth, and well 

 proportioned, and one of the richest flowers in its class. Selina 

 is a velvety shaded purple, with white paste, and in this feature 

 approaching the ordinary self-coloured varieties. Monarch is 

 another purple, with rich shading, and of remarkably fine 

 shape and proportions, doubtless one of the best in its class. 



" Not only on account of their highly-coloured and riohly- 

 shaded flowers, and the lively contrast afforded by the usually 

 yellow colour of the paste, but also on account of their more 

 vigorous constitution and freer habit of growth, these Alpine 

 Auriculas are likely to rise in popular favour." — (Florist and 

 Pomologist, 3 s., iii., 241.) 



NIGHT SOIL AS A MANURE. 



I noticed in last week's Journal that, in answer to an in- 

 quiry of one of your correspondents, you spoke very highly of 

 night soil as a manure. This induces me to ask your kind 

 assistance to enable me to overcome a difficulty I experienced 

 last summer through using night soil. I purchased one of the 

 recently-patented " earth closets," the soil from which I ap- 

 plied to my Cabbages, a portion of one of my Onion beds, and 

 a row of Scarlet Runners, and nothing could exceed the very 

 favourable appearance of these crops at first, as they were very 

 considerably in advance of crops planted at the same time, to 

 which I had put stable dung only ; but on approaching ma- 

 turity I first noticed several of my Cabbages begin to droop, 

 and on pulling them up to ascertain th9 cause, found that the 

 whole of the root had been eaten away by a small white mag- 

 got, and nearly the whole crop of Cabbages, Onions, and Beans, 

 to which this manure had been applied, was destroyed by them. 

 I should, therefore much eBteem any assistance you may be 

 able to afford me with a view to preventing this. — Howard. 



[We do not think that the night soil caused the occurrence 

 of the white maggots, but the protracted dry season. Water- 

 ing and mulching over the roots on each side of the Scarle- 

 Runners, and copious waterings of the Cabbages and of the 

 Onions after the bulbs began to swell, would have kept away 

 the maggots. We grow Onions in rows, with a gutter between 

 each two rows, and in those gutters we pour about once a-week 

 house sewage mixed with water. — Eds.] 



THE PLANTING AND LAYING-OUT OF THE 



THAMES EMBANKMENT NORTH. 

 Some of our readers may remember that portion of the north 

 bank of the Thames which extended from Whitehall Stairs to 

 Waterloo Bridge ; and those of them who are ignorant of the 

 former condition of that now-transformed region will, perhaps, 

 care to be told that it was a wide extent of malarious mud, 

 varied here and there by the hulks of dilapidated barges, the 

 caroases of dead dogs, and sundry other articles which go to 

 make up the flotsam and jetsam of our great tidal river. 

 Why that great mudbank should have been suffered to exist so 

 long after civilisation was supposed to have been introduced 

 among us some member of the Thames Conservancy Board 

 may, perhaps, be able to enlighten us ; but the only apparent 

 object of the mud conservancy was that it might afford a source 

 of fun and recreation to the herd of mudlarks who burrowed 

 in the AdelphiiArches, and sought shelter in the stairs and 

 passages of old Hungerford Market, much as parks and pleasure 

 grounds are reserved in the present day for the health and re- 

 creation of the population. What high holiday these little 

 mudlarks enjoyed ! It was perpetual holiday with them. It 

 mattered not what heavy thoughts weighed down the careful 

 city man as he passed along the old shaky barge-borne gang- 

 way to the " penny boats," the little mudlark, gambolling in 

 what seemed his native element, hailed him with his cheery 

 though inexpressibly dirty face, grinning from ear to ear, and with 

 the winning request, " Chuck us a penny, sir," he melted the 

 moody man into acquiescence. Oh, the effect of that " chuck ! " 

 Away went half a dozen ragged little rascals up to the thighs in 

 black ooze, straight as arrows to their mark. Then came the 

 struggle, the pushing, and the wrangling, and at last the coveted 



