June 15, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
661 
green form, or a variety of it, which seldom flowered in 
ihe north, was the most commonly met with in cottage 
gardens, where it was grown solely for its highly 
odorous leaves, and used for precisely the same purposes 
as Southernwood and Costmary. It is a member of the 
Labiata order, to which the Mint belongs, and which 
contains so many aromatic plants. Melissa is derived 
from Melissa, a bee, the honey gatherer from meli, 
honey ; but the commonest form could hardly be a 
favourite of bees, because it seldom or never flowers 
in the north. 
Mentha rotundifolia. — The roundly oval and 
woolly leaves of this species readily distinguish it from 
GARDEN INSECTS. 
(Continued from p. 629 .) 
Thrips. 
These injurious pests range from 1-36 in. to 1-12 in. 
in length. The abdomen is long, narrow, and smooth, 
with the tip bristly, and the male Thrip has no wings. 
The female has two pairs of long narrow wings fringed 
with hairs, curving outwards; the feet are short, 
stumpy, and without claws. They come under the 
Mandibulata class and the Thrysanoptera order. The 
antennse have six or seven joints, and a two-jointed 
foot. 
number of holes, which injure the tissues and disturb 
the regular flow of sap. 
Beetles. 
These insects belong to the Mandibulata class and the 
Cleoptera order, which word means sheath-winged. 
Beetles form one of the most extensive orders of insects, 
and number upwards of 3,000 known British species, 
and 40,000 foreign and British. The garden Beetle 
and the Devil’s Coach-horse are useful subjects in a 
garden, as they assist in destroying other insects, and 
even snails. In observing the arboreal Beetles, we 
shall find their feet are constructed for clinging to 
Uhopodendron, Her Majesty : flowers wniTE. 
all other kinds of Mint. All parts of the plant, but 
particularly the leaves, are possessed of a powerful but 
agreeable odour peculiar to this species. The rural 
populace in northern districts seems to have no other 
name for it than Balm, and they use it for the same 
purposes as the true kind. 
Thymus vulgaris.— The Garden Thyme is highly 
popular for its agreeable odour, and was used for 
several distinct purposes, but largely for mixing with 
cut flowers to be used in dwelling rooms or to be carried 
in the hand. It is readily recognised by its linear or 
lance-shaped leaves, strongly revolute at the margins, 
which gives them a narrow appearance, and by its 
small, pale purple flowers.— F. 
Plant Bugs. 
These belong to the Haustellata class. Both male and 
female are covered with a white cottony substance, and 
the male may be seen on the wing at times ; it then 
much resembles the Alcyrodes. Bugs are very 
destructive, and multiply with great rapidity. They 
were known in 1787 by Sir Joseph Banks. When 
killed they give out a red fluid. They are known by 
the antenme being longer than the head, and placed 
between the eyes ; their feet or tarsi are three-jointed, 
the first joint being sometimes very minute. They 
insert their sharp beak-like sucker into the shoot or 
leaf, and draw away the juices. In addition to drawing 
the sap, it bores the attacked parts with an immense 
objects which afford them a footing. The terminal 
joint of the foot on which are the claws, is stronger and 
longer than in any of the others. These characteristics 
are reversed in ground Beetles. We find underneath 
the shining scales of the beetle’s back is a pair of filmy 
wings, which are really wonders of nature. We will 
briefly look at two well-known and destructive Beetles. 
The Asparagus Beetle 
Is called technically Crioceris asparagi, and is beauti¬ 
fully coloured yellow, red, light blue, and glossy black. 
They are about ^ in. long, and the larva about | in. 
The eggs are dark-coloured, somewhat spindle-shaped, 
and are attached by one end to the short or unopened 
flower-buds, and may be observed by the naked eye. 
