December 13. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
137 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
M 
D 
W 
D 
DECEMBER 13—19, 1849. 
Weather near London 
in 1848. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R. & S. 
• 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bef. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
13 
Tn 
Lucy. Red-throated Diver comes. 
T. 58—34. 
S. 
Rain. 
VIII 
49 a. 3 
6 23 
29 
5 
29 
347 
14 
F 
Tufted Pocher comes. 
T. 52—40. 
S. 
Fine. 
1 
49 
sets 
© 
5 
0 
348 
15 
S 
Greenfinches flock. 
T. 55—43. 
S. 
Rain. 
2 
49 
4 56 
1 
4 
31 
349 
16 
Sun3S.jnAdv. Camb. T. ends. O! Sap. 
T. 42—38. 
N.E. 
Rain. 
3 
49 
5 46 
2 
4 
2 
350 
17 
M 
Oxford T. ends. [comes. 
T. 48—33. 
N.E. 
Rain. 
4 
49 
6 40 
3 
3 
32 
351 
18 
Tu 
Linnean Society Meeting. Brent Goose 
T. 52—43. 
8. 
Rain. 
4 
49 
7 38 
4 
3 
3 
352 
19 
W IEmber Week. 
T. 48—40. 
N.E. 
Rain. 
5 
50 
8 41 
5 
2 
33 
353 
Lucy. —This virgin martyr was a native of Syracuse, and her festi¬ 
val is said to have been retained because it regulated, and still regu¬ 
lates, the occurrence of the winter Ember days. Having distributed 
all her wealth among the poor, she is said to have been denounced by 
him to whom she was betrothed, and was martyred on this day, a.d. 
305, for adhering to her faith. She is said to have been deprived of 
her eyes whilst in prison, and in Italy and elsewhere it is usual for 
Roman Catholics suffering from diseases of those organs to address 
to her prayers for aid. 
O ! Sapientia. —This was the commencement of a Latin anthem, 
which, in Roman Catholic times, began to be sung on this day, and 
was continued through Advent. The first line was “ O ! the wisdom 
(O ! sapientia) which proceeded from the mouth of the Most High.” 
This is the most probable explanation, although some writers think 
Sapientia was one of the 11,000 virgins martyred with St. Ursula. 
Meteorology op tiie Week.— The average highest temperature 
occurring during days in the last 22 years is 45.6°, and the average 
lowest temperature 26.“°. The highest observed heat was on the 13th 
in 1842, when the mercury rose to 6l° ; and the lowest observed heat, 
11°, was on the 13th in 1846. During the 22 years there have been 
70 days of this week on which rain fell, and 84 days were fine. 
Natural Phenomena Indicative of Weather.— Feathers 
on the surface of water, dried leaves, dust, and other light bodies 
whirling about in circles, intimate the approach of rain. The eddies 
of wind which cause these movements are miniature illustrations of 
the great hurricanes of the tropics, which usually travel in a circle. 
Fieldfares usually arrive soon after the middle of November ; and if 
they appear much earlier, as they do sometimes at the end of October, 
it portends a severe winter. The winter setting in with unaccustomed 
severity in their more northern haunts drives them earlier to our lati¬ 
tude. Fish, when they take the bait with more than ordinary readi¬ 
ness, gambol near the surface of the water, and thus shew great 
aptitude to feed, portend rain. Fires burning bright in winter indi¬ 
cate a cold atmosphere out-of-doors, which increases the draught, and 
a dry atmosphere that promotes the combustion of the fuel. When 
the fires burn dully it arises from the air being mild and moist, and 
consequently producing opposite effects. 
RANGE OF BAROMETER—RAIN IN INCHES. 
Dec. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
13 
B. 
t 29-350 
30.017 
30.427 
29.545 
30.447 
29-759 
30.028 
30.039 
129.238 
29.999 
30.416 
29.443 
30.360 
29.697 
29.992 
29-978 
R. 
0,08 
— 
0.01 
— 
— 
— 
— 
0.14 
14 
B. 
/ 30.033 
30.088 
30.490 
29-523 
30.311 
29.610 
30.056 
29.831 
129.490 
30.073 
30.389 
29.430 
29.908 
29.486 
30.032 
29732 
R. 
— 
— 
0.10 
— 
0.02 
— 
— 
— 
B. 
f 29 907 
30.106 
30.352 
29.556 
2Q.836 
29.571 
30.018 
29.810 
\ 29.510 
30.091 
30.318 
29.436 
29-749 
29-425 
* 29.972 
29.640 
R. 
0.10 
— 
— 
0.03 
0.02 
— 
0.01 
0.22 
16 
B. 
129.419 
30.038 
30.405 
29.336 
29.773 
29749 
29.885 
29.800 
129.266 
29.952 
30.338 
29.316 
29.753 
29.679 
29.806 
29-731 
R. 
— 
0.06 
0.04 
— 
— 
— 
— 
0.68 
17 
B. 
r 29.609 
30.170 
30.453 
29.434 
29.821 
29793 
29772 
29 937 
129.461 
29.882 
30.427 
29.365 
29.556 
29.590 
29.538 
29.872 
R. 
— 
— 
— 
— 
0.05 
— 
0.03 
0.01 
18 
f 29 585 
30.402 
30.451 
29.806 
29.417 
30.166 
29.462 
29.856 
129.402 
30.281 
30.437 
29.581 
29.254 
30.119 
29.339 
29.771 
R. 
— 
— 
— 
0.05 
0.33 
0.22 
0.34 
0.01 
19 
B. 
f 29.270 
30.485 
30.429 
30.214 
29.358 
29.851 
29.520 
30.094 
129.188 
30.448 
30.422 
30.025 
28.987 
29.814 
29.388 
29.808 
R. 
~~‘ 
0.01 
0.01 
0.17 
0.04 
0.01 
0.01 
Insects. —The caterpillar of the 
Goat moth, both of which are repre¬ 
sented in our drawing of the natu¬ 
ral size, is most destructive to the 
wood of fruit-trees, though the elm, 
oak, willow, poplar, and walnut also, 
are liable to its attacks. It is the 
Cossus ligniperda of some natural¬ 
ists, and the tinmbyx and Xyleutes 
cossus of others. The caterpillar 
measures more than four inches in 
length, is smooth and shining, beset 
only here and there with single short 
hairs. It is dark red on the back, 
and the breathing-holes situated at 
both sides are of the same colour. 
The sides and lower part of the body 
are flesh-coloured; the head is black, 
the first segment also marked with 
black above. After remaining more 
than two years in the larva state, 
and casting its skin eight times, the 
caterpillar becomes of alightochrish- 
yellow hue, shortly before becoming 
a chrysallis, which usually takes 
place in spring, when it makes a 
strong cocoon of chips of wood and 
small pieces of bark, which it has 
gnawed off. The chrysalis is yellow, 
and the segments are deeply in¬ 
dented and capable of much exten¬ 
sion : its back is furnished with 
strong pointed spines, sometimes of 
a reddish brown colour. The cocoon 
is situated immediately within the 
opening in the tree, so that the pupa 
when arrived at maturity can press 
itself half out of the hole when the 
shell bursts, and the moth comes 
forth usually in the month of June 
or July, after having reposed in the 
pupa state for an indefinite time. 
When at rest the wings are folded 
together over the back in the form 
of a roof; it sits quietly in the day¬ 
time on the stems of trees, and is 
difficult to be distinguished on ac¬ 
count of its grey colour. Its wings 
measure, from one tip to the other, 
nearly three inches, and many speci¬ 
mens more than this: the female is 
usually larger than the male. The 
fore-wings are ashy-white, clouded 
with brown, especially across the 
middle, and marked with very nu¬ 
merous streaks like net-work ; the hind-wings are brown. Thorax 
oclirish in front, pale in the middle, with a black bar behind. The 
female is provided with a strong egg-depositor, with which she intro¬ 
duces her eggs into the bark of the tree—often 1000 in number; the 
oung caterpillars living at first in and between the outer and inner 
ark, and afterwards, when they are stronger, penetrating into the 
wood. When the existence of one of these creatures is detected in a 
trunk, by its excrement, relief comes too late for the tree, even if we 
are able to kill the caterpillar, the mischief being already done. 
Notwithstanding this, the caterpillar should never be left undisturbed, 
and an attempt should be made to reach it by enlarging the opening 
with a garden knife, or endeavouring to kill it by thrusting a piece of 
pointed wire up the hole. It is called the Goat moth from the pecu¬ 
liar smell both of the insect and its larva. 
No. LXIII., Vol. III. 
