December 16, 1905. 
THE OARDENINO WORLD 
055 
Montbrun. Other fine Japane-se blooms were 
W. A. Etherington, Mine. P. Radaelli, Mrs. 
II. Barnes, Mrs. G. Hunt, etc. (Silver Gilt 
Medal.) 
Mr. A. Weeks, The Green Nursery, Welling, 
Kent, had a group of yellow and white Chry¬ 
santhemums as grown for market. (Large 
Silver Medal.) 
Messrs. G. Prickettand Sons, South Totten¬ 
ham, N., had a fine display of Chrysanthemums 
in bunches as grown for market and arranged 
in tall vases. They included late flowering 
Japanese types, as well as single varieties. 
The green one was very prominent, and is 
evidently a favourite with many people. 
(Silver Gilt Medal.) 
IRD LIFE in 
FIELD & GARDEN. 
Lecture at the 
Horticultural Club. 
After the usual monthly dinner of this 
club, held on Tuesday, the 5th instant, at the 
Hotel Windsor, Mr. Harry Veitch occupying 
the chair, and a good attendance of members 
and guests being present, Mr. Robert H. 
Read, M.B.O.U., gave a most interesting lec¬ 
ture on the above subject. Prefacing his lec¬ 
ture with a sketch of scientific progress m 
his special branch from the dark days of 
Gerard and his Barnacle Goose Tree, 
numerous lantern slides were then exhibited, 
showing mainly the nests and eggs of many 
species of birds, native and migrant, from 
photos taken in situ , and the wonderful defini¬ 
tion and excellence of these were greatly 
admired. 
The extent of the field of research open to 
ornithologists and oologists may be feebly 
grasped by the fact that some 13,000 species 
of birds are known, and Mr. Read was of 
opinion that those who contend for the split¬ 
ting up and multiplication of species on minor 
grounds of variation would treble this number 
at least. Of these, we have in Great Britain 
about 130 resident species, i.e., constantly 
with us summer and winter, while about 55 
more come to us from the North as winter 
migrants, returning in the spring, and about 
the same number are summer migrants like 
the swallow, visiting us in the spring and 
disappearing in the autumn. In addition to 
these, representatives of about 160 other 
species are rare or accidental visitors. 
The vexed question of migration was dis¬ 
cussed, and was partly imputed to inherited 
instincts dating from the glacial epoch, and 
leading to a progressively increasing extent 
of migration and return as varying climatal 
conditions widened the localities where food 
cculd be obtained in different seasons, but 
Mr. Alfred Pearson, himself an experienced 
student of both the named sciences, opined 
that it was also partially due to the fact that 
cool conditions were more favourable to the 
young birds than very warm ones when cur 
spring visitors arrive. 
Many of the photographs taken by the lec¬ 
turer demonstrated the marvellous re¬ 
semblance of eggs to their environment, 
especially such as were laid by the ring plover, 
oyster-catcher, and various terns on rocky 
and shingly deposits, their markings and even 
shape so exactly mimicing the water-worn 
pebbles around them, that, even within the 
limited area of the photograph, they were 
difficult to distinguish. A cluster of beauti¬ 
fully-netted eggs lying in a bed of staghorn 
moss or lichen equally baffled the eye, and in 
every case such or other provisions for con¬ 
cealment, either of the nest or the eggs, were 
shown to be existent. 
The curious faculty of the cuckoo depositing 
eggs which exactly matched in all but size 
the very diverse eggs of the various future 
foster parents constituted a great ornitho¬ 
logical puzzle, but Mr. Druery suggested that 
as the cuckoos’ eggs were always laid subse¬ 
quently to those of the host birds, the cuckoo 
had a power of selection, and knowing, pre¬ 
sumably by instinct, the character of the eggs 
it laid, would choose a clutch to match them. 
This being so, it is only necessary to assume 
that sub-varieties of the cuckoo laid eggs of 
varied tints, and chose different species of 
bii-ds as hosts. The alternative theory that 
any cuckoo could modify its own eggs to fit 
different clutches is obviously untenable. 
In connection with the cuckoo an interest¬ 
ing fact was adduced, forming a guide to those 
who unwittingly destroy insectivorous birds, 
i.e., friends to the fanner and horticulturist. 
The cuckoo is insectivorous, and hence, of 
necessity, chooses insectivorous birds as foster- 
parents for its young, a fact which forms the 
guide in question. In the subsequent discus¬ 
sion, Mr. A. Pearson, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Bun- 
yard, and Mr. Druery took part. ■ A very 
hearty vote of thanks concluded the meeting, 
-♦- 
NOVEL . . . 
ARDEN QEVICES. 
_i i ~ ~~ " " i i ' ~ ~~~* 
A Clay Screw. 
The enclosed sketch is a new and useful 
tool that can be used for several purposes in 
the garden. L name it a “ clay screw,” as it 
may be screwed down 3ft. or more through 
clay or gravel. By pulling it up as one would 
A Mole Trap. 
The trap consists of a piece of A-in. board 
6 in. long by 4 in. wide, through which four 
holes are bored near four corners and one in the 
middle ; also a piece of A-incli hoop-pole, which 
is split, the ends pointed a little, and so bent 
as to fit in and appear as two pieces marked a a. 
Another forked piece of the same or smaller 
material is cut, and one end pointed so as to fit 
in the central hole of the main part of the trap, 
as b. C is a piece of stout twine to which are 
attached pieces of very fine copper wire, d d. 
Each of these two sides of wire is double and 
is, when the trap is set, opened out and led 
along inside of the wooden loops a a. E is a 
common wooden peg, of which four are neces¬ 
sary to set the trap ; their use is simply to keep 
to the ground the board against the upward 
force of the bent spring stake f. The trap is 
set level with the ground in a “run” of the 
mole, taking care to disturb the “ run ” only 
enough to allow the loop a a to enter it. 
A mole passing through the run has to go 
through the loops, and in its passage has to 
scratch away the fork b, when the string c is 
allowed to be forced upwards by the spring f, 
drawing up at the same time the wires d ij, 
between which and the board the mole is 
caught. Moles are less suspicious of these 
wooden traps than they are of cast-iron ones. 
The chief art is in choosing the “runs” in 
which to set the traps. In soft ground a mole 
would as soon make a new “run ” as use an old 
one, but as they usually return to banks and 
dry places to rest, a “run” through hard 
ground between their resting places and their 
hunting ground generally makes sure work of 
them. H. Page. 
The Gardens, Bicton, 
East Budleigh. 
an auger when boring holes in wood, the holes 
can be marie large enough, so that by filling 
them up with a fine prepared soil, Carrot, 
Parsnip, Beet, etc., may be grown straight 
and clean for show purposes. It is also use¬ 
ful to test Vine and Peach borders to find out 
whether they are requiring water or not. It 
is a handy tool to use in hard, shallow soils, 
also before driving in Dahlia or Rose stakes, 
or even for fence stobs, as it clears away the 
gravel and hard clay and allows the stakes 
to go down straight and without being broken, 
as is often the case when Pine stakes are 
used. The one I have got is 3gft. long, with a 
diameter of about 3in., but, of course, they 
can be made larger if required. Tire village 
blacksmith here made the one I have got. 
They are not expensive, and are quite within 
the reach of all. John C. Dick. 
Tiarella cordifolia purpurea. 
This is quite a distinct and a pleasing form 
of the “ Foam Flower.” The foliage is of a far 
deeper purplish bronze hue than that of the 
type, wliile the flowers are of a lively, rosy 
red. The leaves glisten in the sun, being 
overlaid with a fine satiny lustre. The flower 
spikes are of good length, and produced with 
considerable freedom, provided the soil is 
fairly rich. The Tiarellas like moisture, so 
long as it is not stagnant, and if the best 
results are looked for a proportion of leaf 
mould and some sharp grit or sand should 
be incorporated with the soil at time of plant¬ 
ing. Heathek Bell. 
The mild weather is causing hardy winter¬ 
flowering subjects to advance rapidly, and 
there is promise of a good display. 
