COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
July 31. 
305 
Some of the species were of great interest, from the 
peculiarity of their transformations. 
Mr. Hunter exhibited the female Lobster Moth, 
which he had recently taken, together with a number of 
young Caterpillars, reared from eggs which she had de¬ 
posited in captivity. Unfortunately these Caterpillars 
exhibited a very cannibal appetite, killing one another 
without mercy. 
Mr. Jansen presented to the Society’s collection a 
specimen of the rare Hypulus quercinns, taken near 
Colney Hatch. 
Mr. Curtis stated the circumstances connected with 
the capture of the blind Beetles, Anommatus and Lan- 
gelcindia, at Paris, by M. Be la Rousee, at a depth of 
three feet below the surface of the ground ; it appeared, 
however, that they had been found beneath a decayed 
water-butt, which had been sunk into the earth to that 
depth; thus giving English collectors a hint to the 
possibility of meeting with rare Coleoptera in similar 
situations. 
Mr. Curtis likewise stated, that he had been informed 
by Dr. Asa Fitch, that at the present time the wheat 
crops in North America were attacked to a very great 
extent by the Hessian Fly, Ceoidomyia destructor, and 
which Dr. Filch considered was owing to the accidental 
destruction and absence of the parasites which ordi¬ 
narily keep the Hessian Fly in check, suggesting the 
advisability, if possible, of importing some of these 
parasites into America. Mr. Westwood, however, con¬ 
sidered that a far more practicable result would be ob¬ 
tained by the employment of the Wheat Midge sieves, 
invented by Professor ITenslow, and which had proved 
so serviceable in checking the ravages of the English 
Wheat Midge, Ceoidomyia Tritici. 
Mr. F. Smith communicated a notice from Mr. Bates, 
relative to the bird killing habits of a Brizilian species 
of Spider, belonging to the genus Mygale, which resides 
in crevices in the trunks of trees. Mr. Bates’s obser¬ 
vations thus confirmed the statement of Mad. Merian, 
which had been opposed by Mr. MacLeay. Mr. Meade 
stated, that according to Mr. Blackwall, the bite of the 
Spider was not accompanied by the introduction of a 
poisonous secretion into the wound, but Mr. Edwin 
Shep>pard stated that he had observed that Toads are 
occasionally destroyed by a large rod_ species of Spider, 
when shut up together. 
Mr. Newman read a description of the habits and 
transformations of the striped Weevil, Otiorhynchus 
sulccitus, which is one of the greatest of horticultural 
pests, and which Mr. Newman had found to be very 
injurious in collections of growing Ferns. 
Captain Cox stated, that at the present time the 
Lime-trees in the Parks of London swarmed with the 
pretty little Tinea Linneellce, the lame of which reside 
beneath the bark of that tree, committing much injury. 
The Oaks, too, in Hyde Park, were also much infested 
with the TEgeria cynipifonnis, w'hicli had already killed 
many of the trees after they had been reduced to 
Pollards. An application to the proper authorities by 
the Entomological Society, appeared to be one of the 
legitimate objects of the Society’s proceedings ; the 
President, however, feared that such an application 
would, at the present time, and with the recent dismissal 
of Mr Kennedy from office, be certain to meet with uo 
success or attention. 
THINNING FRUITS. 
This is one of the most important primings as to 
fruit culture, and would appear to be particularly requi¬ 
site with some kinds this season. Many serious conse¬ 
quences arise from over cropping, amongst the chief of 
which may be named the following :— 
1st. The fruit is neither so fine nor so highly-fla¬ 
voured. 
2nd. It seldom possesses the requisite keeping pro¬ 
perties. 
3rd. The powers of the trees bearing in the succeeding 
year are much weakened. 
4th. In many cases the very constitution of the tree 
is seriously injured. 
5th. It has a tendency in trained trees on walls to 
destroy whole branches, and thereby render them un¬ 
sightly. 
If these points are correct, it is obvious that the 
effects to be anticipated are no trivial affair. That the 
fruit is neither so line nor so highly-flavoured the most 
ordinary observer must know; size is sure to suffer, and 
equally certain is it that quality Buffers in almost equal 
ratio: but we may observe, that the very appearance 
undergoes a depreciation. Thus, in Grapes, a Black 
Hambro’ may become a Red Hambro’; in Peaches , the 
rubicund Royal George may be little better than the old 
Early Anne. In Pears, tho noble-looking Beurre Diel, 
with its bronzy-looking cheek, and weighing a pound, 
may be brought to appear like some half-sized, coarse, 
and insipid stewing Pear. 
As to keeping properties, there is no doubt that they, 
too, are intimately influenced by due thinning. In Grapes 
this is most notorious to every good gardener: and we 
may here inquire which are the best Peaches gathered 
from any given tree—those which ripen prematurely, 
or those remaining two or three weeks afterwards ? 
But in the keeping, or winter fruits, perhaps, the depre¬ 
ciation in flavour is even more manifest still; for we 
can generally hotter afford to have a few vapid Peaches 
than tasteless and gritty Pears. Apples, at least of 
certain kinds, show a marked difference on the shelves 
in mid-winter, as regards the same kind gathered from 
a healthy and moderate-cropped tree, and vice versa. 
I have known the Manks Codling, under circumstances 
of heavy cropping, becomo a mass of rottenness a month 
and more before those from moderately-cropped trees. 
We come now to our third point;—the injury as to 
bearing in the ensuing year. This must be well known 
to many of the readers of The Cottage Gardener ; 
for nothing is more common than to hear of Apples 
which bear in alternate years ; to say nothing of other 
fruits. 
I have affirmed that the very constitution of the tree 
is injured in many cases; and this surely needs little 
explanation. Who has not seen broken-down trees 
through over-bearing; trees of all kinds liable to this 
over-fruitful habit? 
The last point I have urged is the tendency of over¬ 
bearing to render incomplete the appearance of trained 
trees in kitchen-gardens, where not only utility, but, I 
may add, systematic effect is desirable. I do not, how¬ 
ever, affirm that all cases of diseased limbs, naked 
branches, &c., are caused by such means alone. We 
well know that insects, bad soils, and, indeed, neglect 
and mismanagement, may produce similar effects: but 
