THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Junk 28, 1859. 
183 
in height, and three feet and a half in front. The sashes would 
rest on back and front close together, and a slip of wood be 
placed over the junction. Air would be given in the back and 
front wall. For instance, if made of boards, a board could 
swing all the way. You could then have a twenty-inch pathway 
in the middle, and a twenty-inch shelf on each side. Were we to 
make the most of such glass with as little expense as possible, we 
should set out a place nine feet wide, and fifteen feet long, raise a 
wall all round of wood or brick three feet and a half high, have 
a ridge-board in the centre seven feet from the ground, place the 
glass on the sunny side, asphalt felt on the other, and have the 
walk beneath the latter.] 
ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
The June Meeting of the Entomological Society was held on 
the 6th inst.; the chair being occupied by the President, Dr. J. E. 
Gray, F.R.S., &c. Amongst the presents received since the last 
Meeting were the publications of the Royal Dublin Society, the 
Liunsean Society, the Smithsonian Institute (containing a care¬ 
fully compiled catalogue of all the hitherto-described dipterous 
insects of North America, by Count Ostensacken), the Journal 
of the Boston Society of Natural History, and that of the Board 
of Agriculture of the State of Ohio. 
Mr. Stevens exhibited a number of rare and beautiful Butter- 
fiies recently captured by Mr. Wallace in the island of Ternate, 
including some of the fine species figured by Dr. De Haan, in his 
great work on the Dutch settlements in the East. Mr. Stevens 
also mentioned the recent capture, by himself and Dr. Power, of ( 
several rare British Beetles, including LcemopMceus clemalidis, 
Stenolophus elegans, and Hetcerius sesquicornis. 
Mr. Ianson recorded the capture by himself of a new British 
genus of Auts’-nest Beetles belonging to the family of the Stapliy- 
liuidae, found in the nest of Formica fuliginosa, named Aloglossa 
gentilii. 
Mr. Staiuton stated that Dr. Herrick Schaffer, of Ratisbonne, 
had recently informed him of the existence of a small species of 
Butterfly in the East Indies, which resides in the perfect state in i 
Ants’-nests. It is of dull colours, and has the legs peculiarly con¬ 
structed for its strange mode of life. 
Mr. Westwood considered, from the description of its structure 
given by Mr. Stainton, that it was most probable that the 
Butterfly in question would prove to be a species of Dr. Hors- 
field’s genus, Symetha, figured in his work on the Lepidopterous 
insects of Java. A suggestion subsequently confirmed by Mr. 
Stainton, on the figure being shown to him. 
Mr. McLachlan exhibited a variety of the rare Lily Beetle, 
Crioceris merdigera ; and Mr. Douglas illustrations of the habits 
of two species of micro-lepidoptera belonging to the genera 
Ornix and Tortrix. He also read softie notes on the transform¬ 
ations of a species of Rhaphidia, or Snake Fly, the pupa of 
which he had found in a rotten branch of an Oak tree; also a 
description of the larva of the rare Beetle, Trinodes hirtus, found i 
under the bark of old Oak trees, and which undergoes the pupa i 
state within the shrivelled skin of the larva. 
Mr. Baly readlhe descriptions of a number of new and rare 
exotic species of Chrysomelidee. 
An extract was also read from a letter by Mr. Wallace, re¬ 
cording his capture at Ternate, in New Guinea, of a new and 
most gorgeous species of Papilio (of which he had dispatched speci- ! 
mens to England), as well as a new kind of Bird of Paradise, of 
great beauty. Mr. Westwood suggested the probability that this 
; supposed new Butterfly would prove to be De Haan’s grand 
species of Ornithoptera, of which a unique example exists in the 
Leyden Museum. 
NOTES FROM PARIS. 
The Horticultural Exhibition. 
I observed in my last letter that this Exhibition, though very 
beautiful, was, in some respects, inferior to the London Flower 
i Shows. But if it is wanting in remarkable examples of skill in 
I the growth of certain classes of plants, it is only fair to state that, 
i with respect to fruit and vegetables, it considerably surpasses 
l what we are accustomed to see in England at the same early 
season, if not in quality at least in quantity. The principal ex- 
: hibitor in this division is M. Cremont, of Tarceller, who lias a 
pretty collection of dwarf fruit trees in pots, all of which have a 
considerable number of fruit. There are several small Vines pf 
Muscat Blanc, having five and six bunches ; then one or two of 
Frankenihal, with three and four bunches, quite ripe and very 
well grown. Two or three Peach trees in small tubs, have from 
four to six fruit well swelled and nearly ripe. There are four 
Apple trees, about two feet high each, having from six to eight 
fruit; one Apricot, with four fruit almost ripe. In the same 
collection are a number of cut black Grapes, the sorts are Muscat 
Rouge and FranJcentlial. 
The Providence and Queen Pine Apples, shown by M. Foret, 
are well grown and ripened. With these are several young 
Cherry trees loaded with beautiful 'ripe fruit. Cherries, by-the- 
by, are very abundant this year. M. Chantier, gardener to the 
Due de Levis, has a nice collection of Melons and white Grapes. 
Another, belonging to M. Plastier, contains some well-preserved 
Apples and Pears of last year. These are the Reinette du Canada 
and St. Germaine. The same grower has also several dishes of 
white and black Grapes, Peaches, and Apricots. Some beautiful 
preserved Pears and Apples are shown by M. Boyer, of the 
CMteau de Neuville. There is the Belle Angevine, an enormous 
Pear, which appears to be much grown here. The Apples arc 
the Reinette du Canada, the Reinette Doree, and the Pomme 
d ’Apis Rouge. The Reinette du Canada is one of the most 
favourite Apples in Paris, and it is in every collection. I have 
often observed, too, that the French people generally are much 
more familiar with the names of fruit than we are, espec ially of 
Apples and Pears. Any person can tell at sight the n; mes of 
thirty or forty different varieties, though having nothing to do 
with a garden. But to return to the Exhibition. I shi 11 pass 
on to the vegetables, which, however, do not claim much < letail. 
There is a new variety of Pea, called after the raiser, ( 'ourtois 
Gerard, but I do not know its particular merits as a distinct 
variety. In this collection there is also a new Radish, called 
Radis de Madras, and said to have been introduced by M. Gerard, 
but he does not say from where ; perhaps it is known in England. 
With this variety it is the pod that forms the edible part. Then 
there is a singular variety of Lettuce, having its leaves cut and 
notched like those of the Artichoke; but I am not sure that it 
will prove equal to the sorts commonly grown. There are some 
Leeks and Asparagus, which I Bhould think have never been 
equalled for size. The Leeks are fully three inches and a half 
in diameter, and the Asparagus nearly two inches. But it is 
doubtful if they are as good as they are large. There are some 
samples of Mgatt’s Surprise Strawberries, which are fully three 
inches in diameter, and the plants are loaded with fruit. One or 
two seedlings of more moderate dimensions seem to promise well. 
The Cliasselas Napoleon, a large and beautiful white Grape which 
I noticed last year, is well worthy of being mentioned again, and 
it is the finest variety in this Exhibition. But it is in autumn 
that we shall have the grand display of fruit; at present there is 
but little which claims more particular notice. The Exhibition 
was to close on the 15th, but it will be continued till the end of 
the month. Very few fresh collections, however, have been added, 
and some of those that were sent at the beginning have lost much 
of their early freshness and beauty. 
As I lately spent a few days with a friend who lives about 
fifteen miles from Paris, I had a good opportunity of noticing the 
state of the crops ; and I shall conclude this letter in jotting down 
the result of my observation. Cereals of all kinds are looking 
remarkably well, and promise a beautiful harvest. Potatoes are 
plentiful, and there are no symptoms of disease. The early sorts 
have been in the markets for several weeks. Grapes in general 
arc likely to be abundant; they are now about the sized swan- 
shot, and the labourers are now engaged in tying and pruning, or 
rather “ pinching,” for the shoots which are removed are merely 
broken or pinched off’. Women are generally employed in this 
operation, and they are very expert at their work. They are, in 
some cases, paid at so much a-year according to the extent of the 
ground. But sometimes they are paid by the week. In tying a 
vine to its stake, they use two or three straws of a certain length, 
which are previously prepared. The tying is neat and strong 
enough, while the manner in which it is performed admits of 
great rapidity. Nothing can well be more beautiful than a field 
of luxuriant Vines, either in summer or autumn, but especially 
to people who come from more northern climates. 
With the exception of Plums, garden fruit, in general, is abun¬ 
dant this year, so far as I have seen; and all the accounts which 
I have noticed are very satisfactory. 
The weather at present is warm and clear, but last week it 
rained every day almost without ceasing, and we have had several 
hail-storms with a great deal of thunder.—K. 
