THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE AND COTTNTEY GENTLEMAN, January 1, 1861. 
197 
state; and Mr. Lubbock was desirous of obtaining Bombi at 
this period of the year for the purpose of learning the mode of 
its development, as well, if possible, as the manner in which it 
obtains an entrance into the body of the bee. 
Mr. Westwood exhibited a singular pale variety of Alus 
repandaria, taken by Mr. Daubeny, of Magdalen College, Ox¬ 
ford, the markings forming a link between the type and the 
Tariety named conversaria by Hvibner; the subapical strigce 
being very acutely undulated, and preceded by a large, nearly 
black patch. Mr. Westwood further directed attention to a 
monstrous specimen of a two-winged Ely, Eristalis siniclis of 
Meigen, presented to the Hopeian Collection in Mr. Wells’ 
Cabinet of British Insects, in which the head is entirely enveloped 
in the thin semitransparent pellicle forming the true pupa skin ; 
the upper part of the head being, moreover, surmounted by the 
transverse-lunate piece of the indurated head-covering of the 
larva, through which the horns of the so-called pupa had been 
protruded. This lunate piece is represented by Eeaumur 
(Memoircs, vol. iv., pi. 33, fig. 6, d, d). And, as in looking at 
the head from the front the open space between the upper part 
of the pellicle and the lunate piece is seen to be traversed by two 
internal prolongations of the horns extending to the pellicle 
itself, it seemed not improbable that these two horns are, in fact, 
the antennse-eases. Monsters of this kind, bearing some analogy 
to children born with a caul, are of great rarity; a Noctua, 
•described by Muller, and a Butterfly, Nymphalis Populi, figured 
by Wesmael, being the only recorded instances. A Dyticus, 
however, in Mr. Bowring’s Collection, and an Emperor Moth in 
Mr. Stephens’ Cabinet in the British Museum, also agree with 
the preceding, retaining in the perfect state the head-covering of 
the larva. Mr. Westwood further directed attention to the 
statement made by Mr. Curtis that the Death’s-head Moth, on 
emerging from the chrysalis, has its legs enveloped in a thin 
pellicle subsequently cast off; and suggested that this pellicle 
was probably analogous to the thin skin cast by the May Flies 
-after their first flight, and which appears equally to be identical 
with the thin pellicle covering the real pupae of the coarctate 
Diptera, such as that of the Eristalis mentioned above. 
Mr. G. E. Waterhouse made some observations on the species 
of Donacia and Cassida in the Linnaean Cabinet, and upon the 
nomenclature of the British species of the genus Triplax. 
Mr. Stevens exhibited a considerable number of species of 
'Staphylinidae recently captured in a small quantity of moss, 
showing this to be an advantageous mode of collecting at this 
season of the year. 
Dr. Knaggs exhibited some minute eggs apparently pierced 
by a parasite, and stated that he had found the eggs of Trochilium 
bembeciforme deposited on the leaves of Sallow stumps. 
TEADE LISTS EECEIYED, 
Catalogue of Hardy Trees, Shrubs, Conferee, American Plants, 
<3jT., by James Veitch, jun.. King's Road, Chelsea. —This is an 
admirable Catalogue, rich in all the be9t new things, and par¬ 
ticularly in Conifer® and American Plants. The orthography is 
singularly correct, and may serve as a guide to young gardeners 
in the spelling of botanical names. 
A General Descriptive Catalogue, by James and John Fraser, 
Lea Fridge Road, N.F. —A very excellent general Catalogue of 
a first-class nursery, including Trees, Shrubs, Fruit Trees, Eoses, 
Greenhouse Plants, and Florists’ Flowers. 
Catalogue of Forest, Ornamental, and Fruit Trees , Shrubs, 
fic., by W. Drummond Sf Sons, Stirling and Dublin.- —-An excel¬ 
lent descriptive Catalogue of the general stock of an old and 
respectable nursery. The Catalogue is interspersed with many 
useful remarks., 
Nursery List of William Pontey, Huddersfield. —This, also, is 
sl good general Catalogue. 
A Descriptive Catalogue of Floiver Roots, Plants, Sfe., by 
Carey Tyso, Wallingford. —Mr. Tyso has long been known as a 
successful raiser and cultivator of “the good old-fashioned” 
florists’ flowers, and particularly of the Eanunculus; and we 
have in this Catalogue a copious list of the best varieties now in 
cultivation. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Holcus saccharatus for Forage (A Subscriber). — You had better 
purchase Clarke’s “ A Visit and a Plant, or Hints for the Culture in Eng¬ 
land of the North China Sugar Cane as a Forage Plant.” It is full of 
information on the subject, but with which we have had no experience. 
Any bookseller can procure the book for you. 
Cheap Hot-water Apparatus ( Yorkshireman). —Mr. Allen’s directions 
and drawings are at pp. 134-5 of our No. G36. We know no more of Mr. 
Riddell’s boiler than our correspondent said. 
Bouquets, &c., Arranging (FT. II. P .).—There is no work upon the 
subject. Much has been published upon the subject in former volumes. 
We saw something recently relative to bouquets in a French work, which 
we will inquire for. 
Labels for Fruit Trees (P. Blake). — A strip of zinc, written on by 
Dunn’s Portable Marking-Ink Pencil, and one end of the strip curled 
round a small branch, is better than any we have tried. 
Dressing for Flower-borders [T. H .).~A mixture of equal quantities 
of horse-droppings and cowdung thoroughly mixed and broken fine would 
be an excellent dressing. 
Gisiiurst Compound (A.).—You may apply it as soon as the frost i s 
over to kill the scale on your fruit trees. Eight ounces per gallon would 
not be too much. 
Heating a Cucumber-house (P.).—If you could have given an end 
section of your house, we should have known better, as the height and 
slope are something. All things considered it would be as well if your 
pipes were not more than six to nine inches from the soil. The nearer the 
soil the more effective the heat. We would, therefore, as soon have some 
rubble, finished by clean gravel over the pipes, as tan, unless you can give 
a good depth of the latter ; and then, if very deep, when it begins to decay 
you will require more fire to heat the soil. Better have the pipes near the 
tan if used at all, and a small supply before placing the soil on. We would, 
under ordinary circumstances, prefer the rubble and no tan. The pipes 
should give enough of bottom heat for such a purpose, unless the house is 
very lofty, and a very long slope of glass. On the latter fact, the size of 
the flue will depend. Before making it, see what Mr. Fish says the other 
week, and especially if sunk. In ordinary circumstances, as you will need 
a continuous heat, we would huikl the flue for half the length brick on bed, 
and the other half brick on edge, and, if no return, take it right through 
the house, and make it a foot wide, covered with strong tiles, if with 
evaporating-pans all the better. The flue should be from twelve to fifteen 
or eighteen inches deep. We presume you mean for winter or early spring 
Cucumbers. 
Pruning an Old Aphelexis (An Old Subscriber).—It will he a kill-or- 
cure affair, and for a fine plant we would cut no farther than last year’s 
wood; but if the plant be unsightly, as it is, it will hardly be worth 
keeping, and therefore the cutting may be risked. Defer doing so until 
the end of March, or the beginning at soonest; cut them ; leave the plant 
in a rather shady, warm place in the greenhouse for a month ; and then 
place it in a forcing-house, or where it can have a higher temperature— 
say 60° to 65°, and damp the stem frequently, just keeping the plant moist 
—not wet. As said above, it will be kill or cure. 
Various (Cardigan). — We do not know sufficient of the Cucumbers you 
mention to enable us to give an opinion of them. Lynch’s is a really good 
sort. It is no recommendation to a Cucumber to he twenty-eight inches 
long. What is wanted is a handsome fruit half or a little more than half 
that length, without a neck, of good flavour, and an abundant bearer. 
The bunches of Barbarossa and Champion Hamburgh Grape are larger 
than those of Hampton Court; but the Barbarossa is much inferior to both 
in flavour. 
Flower-deds ( Belirium). —We see no reason to alter any of your flower 
arrangements, but your beds are not to our liking at all. There should be 
no “links” for connection in that style. Putting circular beds in geometric 
corners is the greatest fault iu British gardens, and the only lault com¬ 
mitted by Sir Joseph Paxton at the Crystal Palace. But if you round off 
the corners of the walks your beds ar« right. We never fill up the centres 
of small plots of grass with bed or shrubs in suburban gardens; being 
artistically “ the breadth of effect,” and practically the best place for the 
bairns to run about on, and, when they are old enough, the best place to 
learn shooting at target on.—D. B. 
Vine-culture ( N . V.).-— There are very full directions as to Vine 
culture in the previous volumes. Much to suit your case a few Numbers 
back. We think if you contemplate spur-pruning, five main shoots would 
be enough in your space. Old Vines are often greatly renewed after spur- 
pruning by cutting them hack, and getting young shoots afresh, whether 
to be borne on young rods, or older stems spurred. This, no doubt, caused 
your Vine to push strong; but unless you meant to fill the house with 
Sweetwatcrs, two strong shoots would he enough. As it is, we would 
leave the three best for a crop, shortening them about one-quarter as the 
Vine is old. Ultimately we would only take two shoots from the Sweet¬ 
water, and two each from the other Vines, which will fill the house, more 
especially as you keep plants in it. The young Vines we would cut down 
nearly to the bottom of tbe rafters next year, and the year following to 
half the length—less, if weak, and take two or three bunches from each. 
Rhubarb (C. G. Bead).— The earliest scarlet Rhubarbs are Buck’s Early 
or Elford and Tobolsk. These are succeeded by Mitchell’s Royal Albert 
and Myatt’s Linnaeus. We do not know of any other small-stalked red 
varieties. Your green sort appears from your description to he the variety 
called “ Gooseberry. ” 
Sow Eating Her Young ( TV . A.).— We never found or heard of any 
cure for this bad habit. We shall be obliged by any of our readers giving 
any information on the subject. 
Cucumber for Competition ( Ant Ceesar aut Null us). — Either the Man¬ 
chester Improved or Carter’s Champion. 
Rabbits’ Dung and Sawdust (A Croydon Subscriber ).—Put on as much 
as you would of any other common dung-manure. We have no knowledge 
of dressing rabbit skins. 
Names of Fruit (JR. P. Fondante de Malines; 2, Doyenne 
Defais; 3, Beurrg Diel; 4, unknown; 5, Easter Beurre; 6, unknown; 
7, Lewis ; 8, not known ; 9, Waltham Abbey Seedling.; 10, Court of Wick ; 
11, Parry’s Pearmain; 12, Margil; 13, Nonesuch; 14, Winter Nelis; 
15, Old Nonpareil. 
Name of Plant (P. TV . J ., wethmk ).—Thyrsqeanthus Schomburghjanus, 
commonly known as T. rutilans. 
