THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY" GENTLEMAN, November 8, 1859. 
83 
by the following collectors, are included—Belanger, Griffith, 
Gaudichaud, Fortune, Siebold, Gardner, Fraser, Watson, Blan- 
chet, Perrotet, Wallich, Webb, Boivin, Goudot, Richard, Jur- 
gensen, Jamieson, Hartweig, Welwitzsch, Cuming, Bertero, 
Galeotti, Claussen, Linden, Zollinger, Vautliier, Poeppig d’Or- 
bigny, Kegel, Sagot, Schomburgh, Lobb, Hostmann, Kappler, 
Drummond, Preiss, and Leprieur; in addition to which, this col¬ 
lection includes the valuable Herbaria left by Sprengel and by 
Walpers.” 
Of the books Bateman’s “ Orchidacero of Mexico and Guate¬ 
mala,” fetched £13. “ Flora Danica,” £15 10s. “ Jacquin 
Selectarum Stirpium Americanum Histoi’ia,” £25. Martin’s 
“ Genera et Species Palmarum,” £22. “ Redoute les Liliacees,” 
£17 10s. Wight’s “leones Plantarum India) Orientalis,” £24. 
All the other books realised equally satisfactory prices. 
OCTOBER MEETING or the ENTOMOLOGICAL 
SOCIETY. 
This produced a much greater number of exhibitions of new 
and rare British insects than usual, showing that the “ brothers 
of the nets ” had been more than ordinarily active during the 
past season. 
Donations to the library from the Zoological and Entomological 
Societies of Holland, Messrs. Cui’tis, Hewitson, Stainton, &c., 
were announced, and thanks ordered to be given to the donors. 
The Baron Maximilian Chaudoir was elected a member of the 
Society. 
Mr. Stevens exhibited a specimen of the Bath White Butterfly 
taken on the Kentish coast; and Mr. F. Bond a number of rare 
Moths from the Isle of Wight, including Laphygma exigua, 
Heliothis armigera, Leucania extranea, and Noctua Jiammatra — 
the two last-mentioned species being new to the British list. 
He also exhibited a specimen of Aspilates sacraria, taken in 
Devonshire by Mr. Matthews; and Acidalia rubricaria, taken 
by Mr. Lynch in Kent. 
Mr. F. Smith exhibited several of the original drawings executed 
for Rosel’s great work on the insects of Holland ; also a specimen 
of Aspilates sacraria from Banstead Downs. 
Mr. Ianson exhibited a specimen of the very rare Emus hirtus , 
taken at Southend by Mr. Heyward. This species on the conti¬ 
nent is generally taken under carrion; and Mr. F. Walker stated 
that he had found it in Switzerland under cowdung. Also a 
specimen of Anchomenus elongatus of Dejean, a species new to 
the British lists. 
Mr. Stainton exhibited a specimen of Pterophorus brachydac- 
tylus, taken in Cumberland by Mr. Hodgkinson, being the second 
recorded British specimen. Also a drawing of a new species of 
Lithocolletis , a genus of minute Moths, with the cocoon of the 
insect received from Herr Hoffman, of Ratisbonne, who proposes 
for it the specific name of L. Helianthemi, the larva forming 
galleries in the leaves of Helianthemum vulgare on their under 
sides. Also a specimen of a larva which feeds in the inside of 
pods of Peas in Guernsey. 
Dr. Allchin exhibited a new British Butterfly, Lyccena boetica, 
taken near Brighton on the 7th of August last. Although 
abundant in many parts of the continent, this is the first recorded 
instance of its occurrence in this country. 
Mr. Gorham exhibited some rare Coleoptera taken in Kent; 
and Mr. Trimins a number of rare and beautiful insects captured 
by himself in Southern Africa,, 
Mr. Frederick Moore exhibited the larva of the Eria Moth of 
Bengal ( Saturnia Ricini of Boisduval), from which a very strong 
kind of silk is manufactured by the natives of India; and of the 
hybrid between it and the Eria Moth of China (/S'. Cynthia of 
Drury), reared from eggs received from M. Guerinmeneville, who 
has for several years past devoted his attention to the introduction 
of new silk-producing insects into the south of France. The 
larva of these hybrids had been fed upon the Castor-oil plant 
(Ricinus communis). 
Dr. Knaggs exhibited a species of Forester Moth ( Ino ), 
apparently distinct from the other British species; and also a 
mass of the interesting cocoons of the little Ichneumon ( Micro - 
gaster alvearius), found upon a twig of the Virginian Creeper. 
Mr. Ianson read some extracts from letters from Henry Mann, 
Esq., of Mercarra in the Presidency of Madras, respecting a 
species of coccus which has proved very injurious to the Coifee 
plantations. In the preceding June the crops appeared extremely 
promising. In July the Mealy Bug or an allied species appeared 
in such numbers (“ a few millions ”) as to threaten the de¬ 
struction of the crop. They increased in numbers till August, 
when the plants were treated with coal tar and pounded charcoal 
with good effect, as many as 17,000 trees having been rubbed 
over with this mixture in three days. Mr. Westwood observed 
that this insect was evidently distinct from the species belonging 
to the same family which infest the Coffee plants in the island of 
Ceylon, specimens of which had been sent to him by Herr Neitner. 
Mr. Westwood also read a letter which he had received from 
Mr. J. Swann on the extraordinary tenacity of life of the larvse 
of the common Gnat (Culex pipiens ), during some chemical 
experiments made for testing the power of various materials for 
fibres for the manufacture of paper. 
A paper was also read by Mr. S. Stone upon the economy of 
Sitaris humeralis, a Beetle which is parasitic in the nests of 
Mason Bees, and which had been found in considerable numbers 
in Oxfordshire. 
The Secretary announced that a new part of the “ Transactions” 
of the Society was ready for delivery to the members. 
NOTES ON NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 
Ai/jieidia rubra. St. Sill. Nat. ord., Rutacece. Native of 
Brazil.—A shrub reaching about three or four feet in height, 
branching somewhat irregularly and laxly. Leaves broadly lanceo¬ 
late, entire, attenuated at the base, and acuminate at the apex ; 
petioles short. Inflorescence in compound racemes, with smooth, 
upwardly-thickened pedicels, furnished with small deciduous 
bracts. Flowers sometimes solitary, but more frequently two or 
three together. Calyx short, divided into five acute teeth, rose- 
coloured. Corolla composed of four obovate, or spatulate, obtuse 
intense rose-coloured petals. The filaments are linear, slightly 
contracted downwards, downy. Anthers oblong. 
A very handsome stove shrub, not very generally known in 
private collections. A mixture of sandy loam and peat, or leaf 
mould, forms an excellent compost for it. Cuttings root freely 
enough in the usual way for stove plants. It flowers in August 
and September. 
Batattjs paktctjiata. Chois. Nat. ord., Convolvulacea. 
Native of the East Indies, New Holland, Africa, and America. 
—A strong-growing, sub-herbaceous, stove-twiner. Leaves pal¬ 
mate, with from five to seven lobes, which are ovate-lanceolate, 
and generally obtuse. Peduncles long, supporting a corymbose 
panicle of flowers. Sepals roundish, very concave, nearly equal. 
Tube of corolla contracted within the calyx, but swelling im¬ 
mediately beyond it; limbs broad, spreading, plaited, bright 
purple. Stamens five. Pistil one. Capsule four-celled. 
Batatus is a handsome genus, and this is one of the finest of 
the species. It flowers very abundantly in the later summer 
months. It must have a good rest in winter, and should be cut 
hard back in early spring. A strong, rich soil is that which 
brings to its greatest perfection, and if planted out and trained 
up the rafters of the stove, it will grow and flower in summer to 
the satisfaction of all; but it must have a great supply of water, 
and a dose of liquid manure occasionally will be productive of 
excellent results. Cuttings of stout, short side-slioots root 
freely.— S. G. W. 
PAMPAS GRASS CULTURE. 
The following is the account of the culture of what we con¬ 
sider a good plant of the female variety of the Pampas Grass. 
In the autumn of 1855 I was given a single plant in a pot, and 
kept it in a cold greenhouse the following winter, and planted it 
out in June, 1856. The situation selected for it was a fully 
south exposure, and sheltered from the north and east by a thick 
shrubbery of evergreens, and from the west by the house, distant 
about thirty-five yards. The shrubbery has a gentle curve, in 
the centre of which the plant is placed, approaching within four 
yards of it, and is, perhaps, too close; but nothing can be better 
than the effect of the dark-green foliage of the evergreens, con¬ 
trasting with and throwing into high relief the rich silver spikes 
of the Grass. The shelter is so perfect that there has never been 
a single stem broken. 
Under the advice of an eminent horticulturist, it was planted 
thus :—A circular space, four feet in diameter, was dug out to a 
depth of two feet and a half. At the bottom was placed six 
inches of old bricks and lime rubbish, over this was put a compost 
of decayed pasture-sod, leaf mould, and a little peat. These 
