228 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  17,  1904. 
British  Birds, 
(Continued  from  page  SOI.) 
The  CTckoo  (Cucuhi;?  canorus)  arrives  in  April  and  departs 
t-ocii  after  inidsuinmer,  leaving  the  young  to  follow  when  reared 
hy  foster-mother,  usually  hedge  sparrow,  sometimes  tree  and 
meadow  pipit,  and  .sufficiently  strong  on  the  wing.  Onlj'  one 
egg,  remarkably  small,  is  laicl  in  tlie  nest  of  the  foster-mother, 
and  the  young  cuckoo  casts  the  rightful  occupants  forth  in  order 
to  be  well  fed  itself.  The  cuckoo  is  particularly  valuable  for  feed¬ 
ing  on  the  hairy  caterpillars  often  infesting  gardens,  and  freeing 
Goc.scberry  bushes  of  caterpillars.  It,  however,  feeds  largely 
upon  other  insects,  and  is  extremely  useful.  The  idea  that  the 
cuckoo  eats  birds’  eggs  rests  upon  no  better  foundation  than  that 
of  its  being  followed  in  anger  by  other  smaller  birds,  possibly 
from  the  somewhat  close  resemblance  to  a  hawk. 
The  Nightjar  or  Gnat  Si'CIvER  (Caprimulgns  curopBeus)  is 
tolerably  common  in  England  during  the  summer  inonths,  is 
nocturnal  in  habits,  chasing  their  insect  prey  at  dusk  or  by 
night,  when  chafers  and  moths  are  on  the  wing.  It  arrives  in 
Alay  and  leaves  in  December.  During  its  stay  countless  insects 
are  taken  in  their  airy  flights,  and  foresters,  farmers,  and  gar¬ 
deners  thrive  proportionately  in  their  crops. 
The  Red-backed  Shrike  (Lanius  collario  or  collaris)  may  be 
seen  in  and  about  hedges  in  the  spring,  and  though  it  may  occa¬ 
sionally  feed  on  small  birds,  its  food  mainly  consists  of  beetles, 
grasshoppers,  dragon  flies,  cockchafers,  anti  other  insects,  with 
mice,  frogs,  and  lizards  thrown  in  at  times. 
The  Swift  (Cypselns  apns)  seems  to  spend  the  whole  day  on 
the  wing,  and  the  number  of  insects  taken  on  wing  is  almost  in- 
'•redible,  for  the  quantity  taken  out  of  a  kind  of  pouch  under  the 
tongue  can  hardly  be  pressed  into  a  teaspoon,  these  being 
intended  for  the  young,  and  the  supply  is  often  renewed.  It  is 
vtry  partial  to  church  towers  or  steeples. 
The  Chimney  :Martin  or  Swallow  (Hinindo  rnstica)  is  the 
commonest  of  its  family,  and  is  fond  of  .skimming  over  ponds  or 
rivers,  and  captures  no  end  of  insects  that  infest  the  air.  It 
breeds  twice  a  year,  nesting  against  a  wall  or  other  convenient 
situation. 
The  t  OMjioN  Martin  or  indow  Swallow  (Chelidon  urbica) 
arrives  shortly  after  the  swallow,  and  departs  towards  the  end  of 
Septeinber  or  early  in  October.  It  builds  its  nest  under  the  eaves 
of  buildings,  or  on  beams  in  outbuildings,  and  is  Avholh^ 
insectivorous. 
The  Sand  Martin  (Cotite  riparial  arrives  before  any  of  its 
brethren  and  builds  chiefly  in  cliffs  of  sandstone  or  in  sandpits 
making  holes  three  or  more  feet  in  depth.  Eggs  five,  pinkish 
white  "ith  a  faint  dotting  of  red.  Sand  martins  are  rather 
fond  of  mobbing  the  sparroiv  hawk,  and  ivlien  one  falls  a  victim 
are  as  abject  in  cries  of  fear  as  before  of  triumphant  jeers.  It 
IS  much  the  same  with  cultivators  of  crops  jeering  at  birds’ 
influence  before  disaster  falls,  and  ivlien  crops  are  raimged  by 
insect  pests  lamenting  their  destruction. 
Resident. 
Omnivorous,  or  partly  helpful  and  partly  injurious. 
The  Blackbird  { 1  urdiis  merula). — This  delightful  songster, 
a:ways  the  ma'e,  charm.s  the  garden,  field,  and  woodland,  indeed, 
IS  common  everywhere,  though  not  nearl,v  so  much  so  as  formerly 
for  fruit  growers  decimate  fruit-eating  birds  in  a  very  ivanton 
maniiei,  .so  eager  are  they  for  all  profit  and  no  loss.  It  devours 
ground  insects  and  their  larvie,  snails  and  sings,  especially  the 
<  ggs,  worms,  nnearthing  grubs,  and  doing  immense  useful  work 
for  greater  part  of  the  year.  Its  appetite  is  keen  as  regards 
frn.its,  wild  or  cultivated,  and  the  only  effective  protection  is 
wire  or  tanned  netting. 
The  Song  Thrush,  Throstle,  or  Mavis  (Tnrdus  musicus) 
pours  forth  its  song  at  times  during  the  winter  months,  and  in 
•'pringtme  makes  much  melody  in  the  garden,  field,  and  ivood- 
iaml.  Its  merits  extend  to  a  double  claim  for  protection,  as  it 
feeds  mainly  on  ground  insects,  worm.s,  and  .snails,  clearing  the 
^hell.s  from  these  by  beating  them  against  stone.  Against  its 
usefulness  must  be  placed  a  keen  appetite  for  cultivated  outdoor 
fruits,  especially  the  soft,  but  is  not  nearly  so  seimre  in  its 
ravages  as  the  blackbird  on  orchard  fruit.  Netting  is  the  only 
sure  protccticn  for  Strawberries  and  bush  fruits  against  this 
bird. 
Ihe  Missel  Thrush  ( 1  urdus  viscivoroiLs)  charms,  as  the  black¬ 
bird  and  throstle,  the  groves  ivitli  melody  during  the  winter 
months,  but  is  not  nearly  as  common,  hence  is  not  of  so  much 
^cncpin  to  fruit  grower'^,  indeed,  it  has  rather  a  deterring  in¬ 
fluence  cn  the  blackbird  and  throstle,  driving  them  aivay  from 
ns  haunts,  and  seldoin  devours  garden  fruits,  though  fond  of 
t  herries  and  Raspberries.  It  chiefly  feeds  upon  ground  insects, 
worms.  Ac.,  and  on  wild  fruits,  sncli  as  Holly.  Hawthorn,  Moun- 
t  on  A'-h.  Tew.  and  Mistletoe.  During  the  breeding  season  it  is  very 
pu,£riKKnnis.  driving  away  not  only  small  bird.s.  but  the  croiv 
magpie,  and  even  the  prowhng  cat. — Geo.  Abbey.  ’ 
vTii  !,o  c.mil  i lined  .) 
Arachnanthe  Catlicarti. 
This  plant  was  recently  staged  in  the  Drill  Hall,  Buckingham 
Gate,  S.W.,  by  Mr.  Jeremiah  Colinan  fW.  P.  Bound,  gardener),, 
and  from  a  flower  there  our  sketch  was  made.  It  is  a  very 
interesting  species,  with  the  labellum  “on  a  snivel,”  as  someone 
has  said.  The  sepals  and  petals  are  fleshy.  The  following  notes 
are  from  “Orchids:  Their  Culture  and  Management,”  new 
edition  :  — 
“A.  Gathcarti  (Benth.). — ‘No  more  remarkable  orchid  has 
been  found  in  Northern  India.’  So  wrote  Dr.  Bindley  at  the 
time  of  its  introduction  in  1864.  Subsequent  knowledge  compels 
us  to  somewhat  modify  this  verdict,  but  A.  Cathcarti  still 
remains  one  of  the  most  striking  of  orchids.  The  tall  stems 
are  terete,  and  bear  two  opposite  rows  of  pale  green,  narrowly- 
oblong  leaves,  about  bin  long,  and  unevenly  lobed  at  the  end. 
The  floAvers  are  3in  to  4in  in  diameter,  and  are  produced,  four 
cr  five  together,  on  stout  racemes.  The  sepals  and  petals  are 
broad-oblong,  overlapping  each  other;  the  ground  colour  is  pale 
.A'elloAV,  but  it  is  almost  covered  Avith  transverse  bands  of  reddish- 
broAvn.  The  lip  is  three-lobed,  Avhite,  tinged  Avith  red  on  the 
side  lobes,  the  margin  of  the  middle  lobe  being  yelloAv  and 
curiously  incurved.  Sir  Joseph  Hooker,  avIio  discovered  this 
orchid,  say.s  that  it  inhabits  hot  valleys  in  the  Eastern  Himalayas, 
and  is  usually  found  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Avaterfalls.  Syns. 
Vanda  Gathcarti,  Esmeralda  Gathcarti.  (Fig.  18  ;  B.M.,  t.  5845.) 
“  The  four  or  five  cultivated  species  have,  from  time  to  time, 
been  remoA^ed  from  one  genera  to  another  in  a  mysterious 
manner.  They  have  appeared  under  Epidendrum,  Renanthera, 
Esmeralda,  and  Vanda.  Gncler  the  la.st  name  some  are  still 
retained  in  gardens.  The  species  require  similar  treatment  to 
that  advised  for  Aerides  and  allied  genera.  A.  Gathcarti  groAvs 
best  in  an  expo.sed  position  at  the  Avarm,  moist  end  of  the  Gattleya 
or  intermediate  house.  During  the  active  season  of  .growth  the 
plant  should  have  frequent  .sprayings.  If  placed  against  a  Avail 
the  roots  getliold,  and  this  considerably  assists  them.  The  roots 
being  principally  aerial,  little  potting  is  rermired.” 
Cultural  Notes:  Potting  Operation?. 
Although  cultivators  having  a  foAV  seasons’  experience  will 
probably  need  little  advice  as  to  the  manner  of  potting  orchids 
and  the  materials  used,  it  is  evident  that  there  are  many  growers 
Avho  understand  little  about  it,  this  being  shoAvn  by  the  nature 
of  the  emeries  that  come  to  hand  respecting  it,  and  the  appearance 
of  plants  in  small  collections.  No  matter  hoAV  good  the  plants 
may  be,  they  are  utterly  spoilt  by  faulty  or  slovenly  potting, 
Avhilc,  on  the  other  hand,  even  a  poor  specimen  looks  much  nicer 
Avhen  neatly  potted. 
The  usual  compost  for  the  majority  of  p.seudo-bulbous  orchids 
is  bog  moss  or  sphagnum,  peat  fibre  rid  of  all  earthy  particles 
and  sand,  Avith  something  of  a  hard  nature,  like  crocks  or  chai’- 
coal,  to  ensure  aeration  of  the  Avhole  and  prevent  closeness.  The 
peat  fibre  and  moss  should  be  kept  in  one  heap  on  the  potting 
trench,  the  crocks  and  charcoal  (broken  in  various  sizes)  in  others, 
to  be  added  as  nece.ssary  Avhile  the  Avork  of  potting  proceeds. 
It  is  usual  to  pick  the  moss  over  carefully,  selecting  the  rougher, 
loAver  parts  for  coA'ering  the  drainage,  reserA'ing  the  green,  groAA’- 
iug  points  for  surfacing,  the  remainder  being  used  for  mixing 
Avith  the  peat.  In  manj^  collectioms  leaf  soil  is  much  used,  and 
Avith  excellent  results,  for  potting  the  pseudo-bulbous  section  of 
crehids  generally,  but  this  is  a  phase  of  their  culture  that  must 
bo  treated  on  a  future  occasion. 
As  a  rule  the  drainage  crocks  should  fill  tAvo-thirds  of  the 
depth  of  the  pot,  even  more  being  needed  by  Aveakly  and  fine- 
rooted  species,  le.'-s  by  those  that  have  stronger,  more  vigorous 
and  persistent  roots.  In  the  same  manner,  those  plants  having 
roots  of  the  latter  character  need  a  rougher,  more  open  compost, 
Avith  larger  lumps  of  ch.arcoal  and  crocks  than  the  former.  When 
the  specimens  are  Avell  rooted  the  trouble  of  fixing  the  plants  is 
not  great.  The  usual  method  is  to  take  the  plant  in  the  left 
hand,  Avrap  a  little  of  the  peat  and  moss  about  the  roots,  and 
hold  it  in  its  correct  position — i.e.,  Avith  the  base  of  its  pseudo'- 
bulbs  a  little  higher  than  the  rim  of  the  pot — and  fill  in  Avith 
crocks  and  compost  alternately. 
A  blunt  dibber  is  used  to  firm  the  compost  as  the  Avork  pro¬ 
ceeds,  fini'hing  it  neatly  in  the  form  of  a  cone.  Then  a  feAv  of 
the  groAving  points  of  sphagnum  should  be  dibbled  in  around  the' 
edge,  and  the  aaIioIc  neatly  trimmed  off  Avith  a  pair  of  shears 
or  strong  scissors.  Species  having  a  tufted  habit,  such  as  Odonto- 
glcssum  crispum,  are  much  easier  to  fix  than  looser  habited 
plants,  like  Goelogyne  cristata.  A  feAv  pegs  may  be  necessary  in 
the  latter  c.as?.  aa  h;l?  plants  Avith  an  erect  habit,  like  Deiulrobium 
