August 24, 1882.] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
183 
the commencing meal off its egg-shell. There are four changes of 
skin, these changes or moults usually occurring at the same hour 
of the day, with an interval of ten or twelve clays between them. 
Each time, as Mr. Trouvelot has observed, the silkworm spins a 
little pad upon a leaf to keep its position firm during the operation. 
He also noticed that after a moult each worm examined the body 
carefully, feeling especially at the openings of the spiracles or 
breathing tubes, evidently to remove any fragments of the old 
skin that might chance to be left. After the last moult the growth 
is more rapid, the whole life of the silkworm varying from two 
months to ten weeks ; it is thus longer in attaining maturity than 
are some of the silkworms. When adult the caterpillar of 
A. Polyphemus, as may be seen in the figure, is a striking object, 
the delicate green ground colour being studded over with pink 
spines. In addition to these it has about fifty metallic spots; 
most of these are silvery, but eight of them situated on the front 
segments are of a golden hue. 
The silk of the cocoon of A. Polyphemus is so tightly compacted 
and gummed together, that the perfect insect requires the aid of 
a solvent in order to effect its extrication. This is discharged 
upon the fibres by the moth some hours before it begins its 
struggle to make an opening, and this task is then facilitated by 
the acid which the fluid contains. From this fact it follows that 
if the cocoons are to be utilised for their silk, the chrysalids or 
pupm enclosed must be previously killed, as is the practice with 
the Mulberry species. Nor could the thread be unwound continu¬ 
ously unless moistened by plunging the cocoon in water of a 
suitable warmth. Some of the breeders of the species in this 
country have found a difficulty in obtaining eggs, but practice 
will probably show us how this can be better managed. In the 
autumn of 1878 Mons. Wailly, having to leave his home, placed 
upon some small trees in his garden at Clapham—Hazel, Birch, 
and Willow—several caterpillars of A. Polyphemus. Upon his 
return he was gratified to discover that they had spun cocoons, 
so proving that the insect might be reared in our climate without 
protection, at least after a certain period of growth has passed. 
Attacus Luna is another species that has been imported from 
America. The moth is of unusual beauty, named by some fanciful 
naturalist after the “queen of night.” It is not unworthy of 
the honour, for the wings, which are adorned with long tails 
resembling those which bedeck our swallow-tail butterfly and 
others of the Papilio tribe, are of a green tint very pleasing to the 
eyes. Crossing them are also stripes of purple grey, and upon 
each of the fore wings spots resembling the lunar crescent, while 
the hind wings have their corresponding spots, which are rather 
eye-like. In Britain the caterpillars of this species, which hatch 
during July or August, feed well upon Walnut, Hazel, or Oak. 
From experiments at Clapham M. Wailly inclines to think that 
if let alone they would live in the open air, but his specimens 
placed at liberty were found out and devoured by sparrows when 
they became large, so failed to reach maturity. A small colony 
of these silkworms was reared upon Walnut leaves by Mr. Grapes 
in about eight weeks, the cocoons being placed in small hollows 
formed by drawing some leaves of the food plant together. 
Through their successive changes of skin they are of the same green 
or greenish white as when first hatched. Upon the skin are 
numerous irregular points and warts of red or crimson. The 
cocoon is long and also broad. The value of its silk remains yet 
to be ascertained. 
Apparently more difficult to rear is the even more gorgeous 
and nearly allied insect, a native of India, A. silene, which exceeds 
in size its American relation. The food of the English-bred 
specimens has hitherto been Walnut, Willow, and Cherry, but it 
has succeeded better in France and Germany than on English 
soil as yet. This is one of the races of silkworms from which 
by suitable management more than one brood may be obtained 
in the course of a year. Cocoons obtained from Asia have yielded 
moths between March and August; these are similar to the 
cocoons of A. Luna, in being open, not compact. At the West¬ 
minster Aquarium those interested in silkworms may see sample 
cocoons of Attacus Aurota, only recently brought to us from 
French Guiana. The worms are reported to grow with great 
rapidity. Its general aspect has led to its being called the South 
American Atlas.—J. B. S. C. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
August 22nd. 
Neither plants nor fruits were largely shown at Kensington on 
Tuesday last, the two chief collections being the handsome single 
Dahlias from Tottenham and the Balsams from Dulwich. 
Fruit Committee.— John Lee, Esq., in the chair. Messrs. T. 
Bivers & Son, Sawbridgeworth, exhibited a collection of seedling 
Nectarines, which were considered of deficient flavour and tasted of 
the packing material—some rough moss. Some handsome samples 
of Beurre de l’Assomption Pears were shown, but to specimens of 
Clapp’s Favourite Pear similar remarks apply to those characterising 
the Peaches above. Messrs. J. Cheal ii Sons, Crawley, sent several 
Melons, one Crawley Paragon of very good flavour, similar to Turner’s 
Scarlet Gem ; it is a very neat scarlet-fleshed Melon of moderate size. 
Shepherd’s Model and Excelsior were considered worthless. Mr. C. 
Fidler, 104, Friar Street, Reading, sent a seedling Potato named Fidler’s 
No. 1, which is now being grown at Chiswick, and will there come 
before the Committee. Mr. A. Faulkner, Inkpen, Hungerford, sent a 
dish of fruits of a seedling Raspberry, considered of inferior size and 
flavour to others in cultivation. Mr. W. Divers, The Gardens, 
Wierton Hall, Maidstone, had a collection of fruits, including a seed¬ 
ling Peach, which was not considered worthy of special notice. 
Mr. J. Moore, gardener to J. Haig, Esq., Bray Court, Maidenhead, 
sent fruits of a seedling Tomato, for which a cultural commendation 
was awarded, the Committee considering it a fine strain of Excelsior. 
Floral Committee. —G. F. Wilson, Esq., in the chair. A medal 
was awarded to Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham, for a very extensive 
collection of single Dahlias, comprising over three hundred blooms, 
and representing a great number of beautiful varieties. Some of the 
most distinct were the following :—Bob Boy, rich scarlet; White 
Queen, Mauve Queen, Ascalon, crimson shaded ; Beauty, Yellow 
Queen, Francis Fell, crimson; Maroon, small, but rich colour; 
Zimapani, very deep maroon, nearly black ; Merckii, small white, like 
Glabrata ; Stars and Stripes, mauve, streaked with crimson ; Panta¬ 
loon, small, but neat, florets rose in the centre, tipped with white 
and margined with maroon. Many other beautiful forms were also 
shown in this collection, and a great improvement was notable in the 
breadth of the florets, the general outline, the substance, and the 
purity or richness of the colours. Mr. T. S. Ware also sent a basket 
of the variegated Grass Eulalia japonica zebrina, the transverse bars 
of white being distinctly marked on a bright green base. 
Votes of thanks were accorded to all the following exhibitors:— 
Mr. H. Eckford, gardener to Dr. Sankey, Boreatton Park, Shrews¬ 
bury, for a collection of Carnation and Sweet Pea blooms. The 
latter included samples of Blue King, Duchess of Albany, Lettie 
Eckford, and Grandeur, all very good varieties. Mr. Francis Smith, 
sen., Park Road, West Dulwich, exhibited a collection of double- 
flowered Balsams, mostly bearing large, full, and well-formed blooms, 
purple, crimson, scarlet, rose, salmon, and white, the last-named 
being particularly good ; some of the flowers were diversely streaked 
or spotted. Mr. G. Young, gardener to Capt. Patton, Alpha House, 
Regent’s Park, had a plant of Lisianthus Russellianus, bearing half 
a dozen of its large bright purple flowers. Some dwarf Cockscombs 
and Adiantums were also shown from the same garden. Mr. Wood- 
bridge, The Gardens, Syon House, Brentford, had a plant of Celosia 
compacta Crimson Superb, an excellent form of close pyramidal 
habit, 2 feet high and flowering well from the base, the flowers being 
of an extremely rich crimson colour. 
Messrs. W. & J. Brown, Stamford, sent a white Lobelia named 
White Emperor William, the flowers large and pure white ; and Mr. 
J. S. Grimshaw, Leigham Cottage, Balham, also had a plant of 
Lobelia purpurea with brightly coloured flowers. Mr. G. F. Wilson, 
Weybridge, showed a cut stem of Lilium speciosum album bearing 
four expanded pure white flowers, and four or five buds. Messrs. H. 
Cannell & Son, Swanley, sent some large and handsome yellow and 
orange Marigolds. Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, exhibited a box 
of White Baroness Bose blooms, mostly of good form, white tinged 
with rose at the margins of the petals. A large group of Tydaeas 
and other Gesneraceous plants were shown from the Society’s garden 
at Chiswick, including most of the forms described on another page. 
First-class certificates were awarded to the following plants :— 
Carnation Mary Morris. —A first-class certificate was awarded for 
this as a decorative variety to Mr. H. G. Smyth, 17 a, Coal Yard, 
Drury Lane. It is a very floriferous variety, with large, full, even, 
blooms of a clear bright rose-pink hue. 
Lilium speciosum var. Melpomene (Hovey).—This was shown by 
G. F. Wilson, Esq., Weybridge, who stated it was a seedling raised 
some time ago by Mr. C. M. Hovey of Boston, Mass., U.S. It has 
large flowers deeply coloured with rich rosy crimson, the edges of the 
petals being lighter or quite white. 
Three exhibitors appeared in competition for the prizes offered by 
Mr. J. E. Ewing, Eaton, Norwich, for a collection of cut sprays of 
ornamental shrubs or trees, Mr. A. Harding, The Gardens, Qrton 
Hall, Peterborough, securing the chief prize with a collection of fine 
specimens, chiefly of Conifers, including the following :—P. Nord- 
manniana, with nine large cones ; Torreya myristica, with several of 
its peculiar globular fruits; P. nobilis, with three handsome cones; 
P. lasiocarpa, P. amabilis, P. bracteata, P. grandis, Pinus Montezumae, 
P. excelsa, Abies Morinda, Thujopsis dolabrata, and several Thujas. 
Mr. J. W. Moorman, gardener to Miss Christy, Combe Bank, Kings¬ 
ton-on-Thames, was a close second with a diversified and creditable 
collection, which in the opinion of several visitors deserved a higher 
position. The sprays were placed in bottles, and appeared to much 
better advantage than the others which were simply laid upon the 
table. Some of the most noteworthy specimens were Comptonia 
aspleniifolia, Berberis mucronata, Quercus palustris, Larix Kmmpferi, 
Azara microphylla, Garrya elliptica, Pruminopitys elegans, Retinospora 
