353 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March 9, 1858. 
Brandling evergreen shrub. Leaves alternate, irregularly 
spread over the branches on short petioles, somewhat variable 
both in size and shape, but generally obovate, slightly cori¬ 
aceous, smooth or somewhat downy, margin dentate or 
entire, with the teeth acute. Inflorescence corymbose, ter¬ 
minal, compact. Pedicels short. Calyx tubular, limb usually 
divided into two bps, each lip bearing two or three fringed 
teeth. Corolla funnel-shaped. Limb consisting of five erect, 
ovate segments, dusky white. Filaments long, slender, pro¬ 
truding beyond the limb of the corolla about half their 
length, and supporting oblong yellow anthers. Ovary three- 
celled, ovate. Style longer than the stamens, surmounted by 
a trifid stigma. 
A very handsome greenhouse plant. It flowers in the early 
spring months, but is not strictly a free bloomer. A compost 
of rich loam, with a little peat and sand, suit it very well. 
Propagates freely from cuttings of young lialf-ripened shoots. 
Astrap.ea Wallichii. Irndl. Nat. ord., Malvacece. 
—Native of Madagascar. Stem strong, branching, some¬ 
times in our stoves reaching the magnitude of a tree. Petioles 
alternate, long, strong, covered with short bristly hairs, 
based by a broadly-ovate stipule. Leaves large, cordate, 
dark green, both surfaces asperate from short stiff hairs; 
veins boldly developed; margins coarsely dentate. Inflo¬ 
rescence umbellate; pendant on a long hairy peduncle. In¬ 
volucre consisting of three whorls of leaves; the outer one 
comprising two large dark green ovate leaves ; the inner ones 
composed of several leaves smaller and diminished in colour. 
Pedicels about an inch long, hairy. Calyx of five lanceolate, 
hairy, sepals, with a single membranous bract situated at the 
base. Corolla of five oblong, obtuse petals, thin in texture, 
beautiful rosy crimson, never opening very wide. Each 
umbel contains about a hundred flowers. 
This plant is, perhaps, one of the finest in cultivation, for 
it combines the qualities of a free bloomer, with foliage of 
the finest character. It usually flowers about July, but is 
also found frequently blooming in January. It blooms, too, 
at an early stage of growth, as I have seen a plant about 
eighteen inches high supporting two fine umbels. But if fine 
plants are wanted, it is not permissible to allow them to flower 
in a young state, as they rarely recover the check received by 
it. A specimen is most effective when it reaches the height 
of seven or eight feet. A compost of a strong loamy nature 
is most suitable to well-established plants, but, for smaller 
ones, a good portion of peat and sand is requisite. Cuttings 
of partially ripened short-jointed branches root freely enough, 
in strong bottom heat.—S. G. W. 
ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY’S MEETING. 
The February Meeting of the Entomological Society 
was held on the 1st ult., the chair being occupied by Frederick 
Smith, Esq., one of the new Vice-Presidents appointed by 
John Edward Gray, Esq., F.R.S., who had been elected 
President at the anniversary Meeting, held on the fourth 
Monday in the month of January, but, who was unable to 
take the chair on the present occasion, in consequence of in¬ 
disposition ; a communication was read from him expressing 
his regret at not being able to take the chair, and nominating, 
as the Vice-Presidents lor the ensuing year, William Wilson 
Saunders, F.R.S. ; J. O. Westwood, F.L.S.; and Frederick 
Smith, Esqs. 
Amongst the donations received since the last Meeting were 
the publications of the Royal and Linnsean Societies of Lon¬ 
don ; the Entomological Societies of Stettin and the Pays 
Bas ; Messieurs Cheviolat, Lacordaire, Hewitson, &c. 
Mr. Samuel Stevens exhibited a number of beautiful and 
rare Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, recently received from Port 
Natal, collected by Herr Guerzius, from whom a communica¬ 
tion was read on the habits of the species of the remarkable 
family of beetles, named Paussidao, of which he had collected 
eight species, several of which are nondescripts, and which 
are found in the interior of ants’ nests. The curious obser¬ 
vation was also made, that, in general, pale-coloured insects 
are nocturnal in their habits; in confirmation ot this, the pale 
Brazilian species of J,'legacepliala and the curious Vespa 
Doryloides were cited. 
An elaborate paper, by Sydney S. Saunders, Esq., her Ma¬ 
jesty’s Consul in Albania, was read on the economy of the 
genus Conops, belonging to the order Diptera, of which he 
had reared several species, which are parasites in the bodies 
of perfect specimens of Hymenopterous insects belonging to 
different families, namely, Pompilidcc, Vespidse, and Apidse. 
A paper was also read by Captain Cox, on the successful 
treatment of Elm trees, in the Regent’s Park, infected with 
Scolytus destructor. The ravages of these minute beetles are 
so extensive, and, unfortunately, so evident in the noble Elms 
of our great parks, that the attention of the proper authorities 
has repeatedly been directed to the question of their destruc¬ 
tion, but without success; whilst the attention of several 
entomological authors, who have devoted themselves to the 
subject, have been rather directed to the question whether the 
Scolytus attacks healthy trees (and is, consequently, the origin 
of their destruction), or merely attacks such as are already in 
an unhealthy condition. Captain Cox evidently adopts the 
former of these views : in proof of which he adduces the fact, 
that of eighteen trees, which he operated upon in the Regent’s 
Park, seventeen recovered; whereas, had these trees been 
really unhealthy, and only attacked by the insects in conse¬ 
quence of their sickly state, it is not credible that the mere 
removal of the beetles (considered as an accelerating cause) 
would have restored the trees to health. 
Captain Cox’s plan of operation against the insect is founded 
upon that practised in Paris (where, however, it has failed of 
success), and consists simply in removing those portions of 
the outer bark (not the alburnum, or inner bark) which are 
seen to be infested by the Scolytus, as proved by the small 
circular holes visible m the bark, being the orifices of the 
burrows made by the females. The plan adopted in Paris was 
to remove the whole of the bark of a diseased tree, which 
could but insure, and even hasten, its destruction. It is 
within these burrows that the females deposits their eggs. 
If the young larva?, when hatched, bore away from the maternal 
gallery at right angles, each forming a separate burrow for 
itself, the larvae from the eggs of a single female thus exca¬ 
vate an area of about four inches square; a tree, therefore, 
thirty-five years old, is liable to be attacked by as many as 
280,000 of this larvae. Captain Cox received the prize medal 
from the Royal Botanic Society, for his reseaches on this 
subject. 
A short paper was also read, containing the description of 
a new and remarkable genus of beetles, belonging to the family 
Scaritidae, recently sent from Brazil by Mr. Bates, communi¬ 
cated by Mr. Westwood. 
THE XILMAENOCX APIARIAN SOCIETY. 
This Society was formed two years ago. The first year there 
were only a few members, it not being generally known. The 
second year, having advertised that such a Society existed, 
and it being more generally known among bee-keepers, our 
members amounted to about eighty, a few of them being 
nominal. 
The Society was formed for competition with honey in the 
comb in boxes, globe honey, and run honey. 
When I mention boxes, it may be as well to let you know 
that they are Stewarton boxes ; as the most of our apiarians 
in and around Kilmarnock are adopting the Stewarton system. 
Our Show was held in August; and having advertised 
£4 1 10^. worth of prizes, and it being what we call a good bee 
year, we had an excellent gathering—upwards of thirty-five 
boxes of honeycomb, and, in most cases, without any brood; 
the boxes weighing from 18lbs. to 35 lbs. 
I am sure it would have delighted some of your corres¬ 
pondents to have seen upwards of 800 lbs. of honeycomb, of 
the finest quality, shown in one room. 
I merely write this, thinking it woidd interest some of 
your readers, and to let them know what we can do in Ayr- 
sliire. They must not be under the impression that all our 
boxes were shown, for some members had as many as six and 
eight boxes, and only showed one or two of the best. 
I would recommend apiarians to give the Stewarton boxes a 
trial, as you get much purer honey than from the common 
beehive. It is nicer for the table; or, if disposed of, you get a 
longer price for it.— John Cadzow, Kilmarnock. 
