186 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of certain of the Hcmcrobidcs. These latter insects are less 

 readily recognised than the Lacewing-Flies, but are none the less 

 true friends. They are smaller than the Chrysopides, and not 

 so strikingly coloured. 



Dragonflies assist in preserving Nature's balance by devour- 

 ing butterflies, moths, &c. On any bright day in summer these 

 creatures of the sun may be found hawking for prey. Of the 

 larger species, the body only of the moth, butterfly, or what not 

 is eaten, the wings being allowed to fall to the ground. To that 

 abundant pest, the Silver Y-Moth, the dragonflies seem very 

 partial, as also to the equally troublesome craneflies, and I have 

 frequently taken dragonflies with these insects in their jaws. The 

 Odonata have not been studied in this country with half the 

 zeal that has been bestowed upon some other and less interesting 

 families, though one enthusiastic naturalist, Mr. W. J. Lucas, is 

 about to give to the world the benefit of his labours in that 

 direction. 



Hymenoptera. — The insects comprised in this order have 

 strong claims upon the gardener's attention by reason of the 

 part they play in the fertilisation of his flowers ; while the 

 intelligence displayed by ants, bees, and wasps is not equalled 

 by any other insect. Then, too, the order includes the ichneumon 

 flies and the sawflies — the one working for the gardener's good, 

 and the other to his certain loss. To separate the sheep from 

 the goats in so vast an order is somewhat difficult, as now and 

 again there is a very fine boundary line. Take the case of the 

 Social wasps, of which there are seven species in this country. 

 That they confer a benefit upon the gardener by destroying the 

 larvai of certain noxious insects no one will dispute ; but this 

 benefit is nullified by the injuries they inflict upon the fruit 

 crops. This, at any rate, holds good in respect of six out of the 

 seven species found here. The hornet (Vespa crabro) is the 

 exception, for though occasionally taking toll of fruit, it practi- 

 cally subsists upon caterpillars, while it does not hesitate to 

 attack and devour other Social wasps. From the other Social 

 wasps it may be distinguished by its much larger size and deeper 

 yellow markings on a brown (not a black) ground. 



The other section of the family, the Solitary wasps, are insects 

 deserving of protection, as they render incalculable service. 

 They are frequently found in gardens, and may be seen on 



