188 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



under notice. One of the most useful is Apantcles glomcratus, 

 which is of such service in keeping in check those pests of our 

 kitchen gardens, the Cabbage Whites. This, however, is but 

 one of a mighty army working unseen in man's best interests. 

 The yellowish cocoons of the ichneumon flies should never be dis- 

 turbed by the gardener, as in the course of time they will hatch 

 out into flies, and these in their turn commence anew the cycle 

 of existence. The flies themselves would not be recognised, but 

 by preserving the cocoons he is certainly doing the best he can for 

 his crops. Popularly it is supposed that the eggs of the parasite 

 are deposited in the butterfly or other larvae, and these afterwards 

 are literally eaten alive. Nothing, however, could be more 

 erroneous. The " ichneumoned " larvae do not apparently feel 

 any ill effects from the visitors until they are about to pupate, 

 when they usually sicken and die, although occasionally perfect 

 insects will emerge from pupae so infested. What really takes 

 place is that the host-caterpillar continues to feed, even more 

 voraciously than ever, but the juices it absorbs are intercepted by 

 the parasites. 



Sawflies, again, though so very destructive and so very 

 numerous, are kept in check by these parasitic Hymcnoptera. 



Again, the aid rendered by the Ichneumon flies to the 

 fruit-grower is almost incredible ; for some fifty or more species 

 attack that pest, the Winter Moth (Cheimatobia brumata). 

 Everyone therefore who has fruit under cultivation should be 

 ready to acknowledge the services of the harmless-looking para- 

 sitic Hymcnoptera. 



Lepidoptera. — This is the best known of all the orders of 

 insects, containing as it does the very familiar butterflies, the 

 beautiful if little-known hawk-moths, and the moths proper. From 

 the first named the gardener suffers but little ; for if we except 

 the W 7 hites not one of the other sixty odd species give him any 

 trouble. This is the more remarkable seeing that such species 

 as the Peacock, the Small Tortoise-shell, Red Admiral, Painted 

 Lady, Brimstone, one or two of the Blues, Small Copper, &e., are 

 fairly constant visitors to our gardens. And practically the same 

 may be said of the hawk-moths. Of the other moths so numerous 

 are the foes that to remark upon even a tithe of them would fill 

 a volume or two. Quite a large number of the larvae— for the 

 perfect insects of all moths and butterflies are harmless— take 



