JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 2, 1881. ] 
439 
spicuous, the legs short, the body elongated or globular, and a 
springing apparatus is situated at the tail. Herein they differ 
from fleas and various species that leap by means of the hind legs. 
This apparatus is closed up when out of use, and, as Sir John 
Lubbock remarks, it does not seem to be requisite in the case of 
creatures having the habits of these Collembola. Possibly the 
power of leaping is advantageous to them should they have to 
migrate suddenly in pursuit of food, but ordinarily they lie quiet, 
keeping more or less hidden under some substance frequented by 
them, or in sheltered nooks. 
Nearly the largest of the species is Smynthurus fuscus, which is 
about a line in length, and feeds chiefly upon fungi in their early 
stages, those growing upon damp bark being its especial resort. 
Sometimes these have been discovered in such thick swarms that 
Fig. 98.—A Springtail (Podura, species) magnified. 
they could be gathered up by spoonfuls. S. viridis has greenish 
eyes in black spots ; it is common about Cucumber frames, where 
also two or three Smynthuri more are occasionally taken, but 
they have not been named with certainty. Curtis, in his “ Farm 
Insects,” alludes to a minute species, which was said to be in¬ 
jurious to the leaves of the Potato, and which was black with 
brownish horns. Probably it is the insect that Sir J. Lubbock 
separates as S. niger, very small and sluggish. Another species 
of a more lively disposition is to be detected during the winter 
months, S. ornatus; this is black, mottled with green or brown, 
and leaps or runs amongst dead leaves and logs of wood. As do 
others of the Collembola, it helps forward the decomposition of 
matters that fertilise the soil, and which unchanged would render 
the air unwholesome. All the Smynthuri dislike drought ; also 
the application of salt, even in weak solution, soon kills them. 
Several of the insects in this group are almost colourless, and one 
or two species are supposed to be eyeless ; also it is perceivable 
that though the general name of “ Springtails” is given to them, 
some species cannot leap, but they run rapidly when alarmed. 
A few live under beds of seaweed partially exposed to the tide. 
Lepisma saccharina, in the small family of the Lepismidm. is very 
Fig. 99.—Fish-scale (Lepisma saccharina) magnified. 
common in some houses, manifesting a liking for sweets. It has 
been popularly called the “ fish scale,” from its body being 
clothed with scales. This is larger than the Collembola, being 
nearly a third of an inch in length, and it has a three-forked 
tail. 
The Acarina or mites, if not true insects, certainly form a con¬ 
necting link between the spiders and insects, the thorax and 
abdomen being closely joined, not united by a stalk, as in the 
spiders. In outline they resemble spiders, having eight legs when 
matured, but only six during their early stage of existence. It is 
not to be expected that gardeners should distinguish amongst 
species that often baffle men of science, and the place where they 
may occur does not always afford proof as to habit. Some, indeed, 
are highly injurious, but the majority occupy a neutral position, 
and it is not necessary to dwell upon them here. Conspicuous, 
however, amongst the mites that are to be found about gardens or 
plant houses are those that belong to the family of the Tetranychi, 
called “ spinning mites.” Best known of these is the annoying 
species, familiar to us as the red spider, but in colour variable 
according to the plants it frequents, being sometimes greenish or 
brownish, sometimes a rusty red or paler, usually semi-transparent, 
and lacking the velvety appearance that distinguishes another 
red species, not a spinner—the harvest mite. There does not seem 
to be any noticeable difference between the hues of the young 
mites and the “ old stagers,” except that, owing to their skin 
being thinner, the juveniles look more transparent, also they are 
less active. These have only six legs, two more beiug acquired 
when the adult stage is reached. 
The thread that is spun by this mite (T. telarius) is so very 
delicate that we cannot see it without a glass, except it is woven 
into a web. This is spread over a leaf by the united action of 
the claws of a number of individuals, usually, and it secures 
them from being dislodged, as their foothold without the web is 
not very firm. Leaves are particularly attractive to them which 
have hairs or inequalities, about which the threads are dexterously 
woven. A variety of sizes may be found congregated on a single 
leaf, a colony perhaps of hundreds, and under their influence the 
vitality of the leaf gradually vanishes, and a sickly tint of yellow 
or grey announces its death. The influence of these mites is un¬ 
favourable, not only because they make numerous punctures in 
leaves and draw up the juices with their suckers, but because the 
pores are clogged by the fluids they excrete. Sulphur has been 
repeatedly proved to be of all applications the most destructive 
to them ; soft soap and water is also fatal if it can be brought 
into immediate contact. The red spider has also some natural 
enemies, such as the grub of the lace-winged fly, which clears 
them off a leaf with surprising rapidity. 
Hardly distinguishable from the preceding is the T. cucumeris 
of Boisduval, said to make Cucumbers and allied plants its special 
object of attack, though wandering from these to other plants in 
the kitchen garden. The economy of the Rose-l'.auuting T. Rosa- 
rum is different from that of many of these mites, since "it has 
only been detected upon unhealthy trees, the leaves of which 
showed a growth of fungi, such as Uredo Rosas. This mite is 
green and slender. T. ferrugineus has been more observed on the 
Continent than in England ; it is minute and very destructive 
to the leaves of Cyclamens. Boisduval, indeed, thinks the only 
remedy is to burn at once a plant seen to be infected.—J. R. S. C. 
PROPOSED PRESENTATION TO MR. JOHN DOMINY. 
In recognition of his long and successful labours in enriching 
our collections of Orchidaceous plants especially, we published 
a portrait of Mr. Uominv in our issue of July 1st, 1880. page 11, 
and appended a list of the plants he has raised, with their parent¬ 
age. In the following issue, on page 29, a correspondent— 
“ Dublinensis ”—than whom no one is better able to form a 
just estimate of the merits of a fellow worker in practical and 
scientific horticulture, wrote as follows:— 
“ On opening your esteemed Journal of to-day (July 1st), I was 
delighted to see such a truthful likeness of Mr. John Dominy, who 
has for so long been the valued director of the Veitchian nursery at 
Chelsea. In my humble opinion you deserve the thanks of all horti¬ 
culturists for having given portraits of two of the most useful 
gardeners of the time—I'beg to use the word gardener in its best 
and widest sense—Robert Fortune and John Dominy ; one a most 
successful collector, the other apart from his business tact and high 
cultural abilities, a man who led science by his practice as a hybrid- 
iser of Orchids and bepenthes—the aristocracy of the horticultural 
world. We have had portraits of gardeners and horticulturists by 
the dozen, but you have struck a chord of sympathy with those of 
the two gentlemen I have named, both of whom have done so much 
in the quiet unostentatious manner so indicative of sterling merit. 
Poor Robert Fortune died before half the present generation of horti¬ 
culturists knew his worth ; fortunately we have John Dominy still 
with us. Shall his merit die with him unrecognised by bis fellows, 
or will our brethren give him with their good wishes something like 
himself—simple, useful, and good, to remind him of the active part in 
the battle of life through which he has passed, and from which he 
has so recently retired ? All that is wanted is a token of good will 
from those who recognise his ability or revere him as a staunch and 
true friend. Those who know Mr. Dominy best will be aware how 
far his thoughts or wishes are from desiring anything in the shape of 
a ‘testimonial,’ yet anything of a spontaneous expression of good 
will on the part of his” compeers is welcome to any man who feels 
that he has done his ‘level best’ to deserve it. That Mr. Dominy 
does deserve such an expression of respect is beyond question, and I 
shall be most happy to add my own mite towards such an object.” 
From other letters we received it is evident that a disposition 
exists to convey to Mr. Dominy a tangible tribute of esteem ; and 
we learn with pleasure that the question has assumed a practical 
form, as will be perceived by the following letter from Sir Trevor 
Lawrence, Bart., who writes to us as follows :— 
“ I am anxious to bring to notice the strong claims of Mr. Dominy 
