March 9, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
201 
having been made on the plant in its native condition ; and this is 
also the case with those of Mr. Bashford Dean, contributed to the 
Transactions of the New York Academy of Sciences. Mr. Dean states 
that there is a marked difference in the irritability of different leaves ; 
that the leaves usually fail in capturing the larger and more active 
insects; that even small insects constantly escape ; and that the leaf 
repeatedly closes on inorganic and vegetable objects. 
_ The Long-tailed Tit. —These are among our very best 
friends in orchards, and fruit growers cannot be too jealous of inter¬ 
accused the other evening of being among our worst enemies in taking 
and “ knocking-off ” fruit-bloom buds. I told the man a greater 
mistake was never uttered. If these erroneous statements are not 
contradicted children are only encouraged to rob the nests of these 
wonderful architects.—J. Hi am. 
BEGONIA DECORA. 
This charming ornamental foliaged Begonia was exhibited by Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons, Rojal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, at the Drill Hall on 
Fig. 42.—begonia decora. 
ferehce in nesting during the coming season, i'hey ihay safely be said 
to be “ worth their weight in gold ” every year. I was recently watching 
a pair flitting from tree to tree, and at last one set to pecking at a small 
bough near the top of an Apple tree. Being determined to see what it 
was feeding on, I drove it hastily away, and ihree times it was as 
determined to have its dinner in defiance of me. I mounted the tree 
and found a large patch of moths’ eggs laid at the identical spot, about 
100 packed on end in true lines, and covered with a cushion-like 
covering of fine hairs, apparently those of the March moth, Anisopteryx 
aescularia; the marks left on the bark left no doubt, as to the eggs 
having been recently taken. I again watched them and again drove 
one from its feeding-ground, and mounted to examine the exact spot, 
and found it taking the eggs of the cookie scale, I heard these birds 
November ISth, last year, and the Floral Committee of the Royal 
Horticultural Society deemed it worthy of a first-class certificate. As 
will be seen by referring to the illustration (fig. 42) the leaves are 
medium-sized, varying from 3 to 4 inches in length, and are of an 
attractive character. The midribs and veins are light green, the upper 
surface of the young leaves being rough and bright brown, changing 
to a darker or chocolate shade ; the under surface of the foliage is a 
bright claret colour. Begonia decora is a dwarf growing species from 
Penang, and was introduced by Messrs. J. Veitch k. Sons. It has 
creeping rhizomes, and under good cultivation the pretty marked 
foliage will form a welcome addition to stove ornamental leaved 
plants. The leaves are covered with papillae, each of which has a 
terminal hair. 
