?.Iay  12,  1904. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
403 
fiiipleasant  as  theirs,  and  will  drive  its  l)eak  sharply  into  the 
skin.  Also  it  can  jn-odnce  a  cnrions  creakint);  sound. 
Foi'inerly  all  the  bngs  were  united  into  one  family.  They  are 
now  split  into  two,  distinguished  from  each  other  l)y  the  struc¬ 
ture  of  the  wings  and  the  position  of  the  proho.scis.  Most  of 
the  handsome  and  brightly  tinted  bugs  belong  to  the  Heterocera, 
an  order  containing  both  aquatic  and  terrestrial  species.  Here 
we  find  the  active  water-boatmen,  the  lanky  v  ater-measurers, 
and  the  ravenous  water-.scorpions.  A  few  of  the  aquatic  species 
are  pretty;  for  example,  the  hri.sk  little  bug  Acanthia  salta- 
toria,  common  on  marshes,  fresh  or  salt,  which  has  brown  and 
white  markings  on  its  round  body.  What  it  lives  on  we  do  not 
know.  Velia  rivulorum  is  rather  larger,  black,  red,  and  white. 
It  appears  to  .skate  over  the  surface  of  the  water,  with  an  object, 
doubtless,  we  presume,  to  pick  up  windfalls. 
Amongst  the  garden  bugs  of  this  Order  wo  have  various 
.specie.s  that  are  both  beautiful  and  useful,  but  the  bulk  of  them 
are  hurtful  to  vegetation.  In  the  genus  Reduvius,  already 
referred  to  as  a  foe  of  the  house-bug,  are  other  .species  busy 
about  gardens  seeking  prey.  They  all  defend  themselves  by 
employing  the  beak  or  proboscis  to  inflict  a  wound,  and  though 
one  not  infrequently,  when  wandering,  gets  into  a  weh,  the 
spider  .seldom  touches  it,  leaving  the  bug  to  escape  or  .struggle 
till  dead.  R.  subapterus  differs  from  mo.st  bugs  in  having  an 
agreeable  odour,  somewhat  like  that  of  a  prune  Pear.  It  has  a 
■  black  body,  with  yellow  hairs  and  imperfect  wings,  haunting 
dry  spots  where  Heath  or  Furze  grow.  Nearly  all  gardeners 
must  have  noticed  the  bugs  of  the  Pentatoma  genus.  Some  of 
them  are  very  ])eautiful  and  of  varied  colours.  Though  these 
chiefly  live  on  the  juices  of  plants  and  fruits,  several  species  are 
also  predatory.  They  are  easily  distinguished  by  the  scutellum 
or  triangular  shield  over  the  abdomen,  much  larger  in  some 
specie.s  than  in  others.  One  naturalist,  De  Geer,  noticed  females 
watching  over  their  young  brood,  in  the  way  hens  guard 
cliickens.  The  odour  such  bugs  leave  on  fruit  is  not  by  any 
means  agreeable. 
Few  of  these  insects  have  got  poi^ular  names,  but  one  of  the 
familiar  and  abundant  examples,  the  P.  grisea,  has  been  called 
the  Cahbage-bug.  Often  does  it  swarm  upon  Cabbages  and 
other  Crucifers ;  also  they  are  fond  of  such  flowers  as  the 
Mullein.  The  greyish  general  colour  is  chequered  by  markings 
of  red,  yellow,  and  black.  Another  pretty  .species  of  mixed 
colours  is  P.  ornata  ;  among  many  of  them  red  predominates. 
These  children  in  some  countries  call  soldiers;  the  duller  ones 
are  sailors;  they  are  frequent  about  gardens,  crawling  upon  low 
plants.  A  French  naturalist  thinks  these  bugs  emit  a  vapour 
which  produces  their  disagreeal)le  smell,  and  which,  .should  it 
reach  the  human  eye,  produces  inflammation  ;  it  might  also 
irritate  a  tender  skin,  but  I  have  never  heard  of  an  instance 
where  persons  have  thus  suffered.  In  the  Vine  districts  of  the 
Continent  occurs  a  blue  Pentatoma,  which  is  serviceable  owing 
to  its  feeding  on  small  beetles. 
Occasionally  we  come  upon  a  bug  that  resembles  the  beetle 
tribe;  for  instance,  the  broad,  brownish  Podops  inunctus,  which 
has  two  curious  epaulets  attached  to  tlie  shoulders,  and  a  large 
shield  that  nearly  covers  the  wings.  The  yellow  Rhopalus  capi- 
tatus  has  hairy  anteniipe,  and  wings  with  such  thick  nerves  that 
the  insect  seems  fitted  for  a  quick  flight.  But  amongst  the 
))ugs  some,  like  Astemma  apterus,  have  wings  imperfectly 
developed,  .so  they  run  over  plants.  This  species  is  often  to 
l)e  noticed  along  roads  and  paths ;  the  abdomen  shows  two 
cons])icuous  circular  spots.  Upon  Alignonette  we  find  the 
smaller  Cymus  Resecke,  which  has  a  red  head  and  shield,  the 
rest  of  the  l)ody  l)eing  yellow.  It  is  presumed  to  feed  upon  the 
juices  of  this  or  other  plants. 
Rather  a  contra.st  to  the  preceding  species  is  the  bug  Phyto- 
coris  tilife,  with  long  legs  and  antennm,  also  a  broad  head.  It  is 
greenish-grey,  having  black  spots  of  various  sizes,  and  runs 
or  flies  in  lively  .style.  Ra.spherries  are  a  special  attraction  to 
it,  and  we  might  excuse  its  attacks  on  the  fruit  were  it  not  for 
the  odour  (and  flavour)  it  leaves  behind.  Amongst  the  bugs 
popularly  called,  bishops  or  l)i.shops’  mitres,  on  account  of  their 
shape,  are  numerous,  and  haunters  of  fruit,  particularly 
Cherries,  which  they  scent  by  a  liquid  flowing  from  poi’es  at  the 
hind  feet.  Asopus  Inridus  is  a  pretty  species,  yelloAvish  and 
l>lack,  with  a  purple  gloss  on  .some  parts  of  the  bodv ;  it  is 
mostlv  seen  on  trees.  Somewhat  dull  in  tint  is  the  bug  Verlusia 
ihomliea,  taking  the  specific  name  from  its  singularly  shaped 
abdomen.  It  has  a  long  and  stiong  beak,  flying  rather  high  on 
sunny  autumn  days.  Like  several  of  its  brethren,  it  can  pro¬ 
duce  a  loud  liumming  sound. 
Bugs  of  the  Homopterous  order  are,  many  of  them,  possessed 
of  the  power  of  leaping,  and  the  females  have  an  ovipositor 
wliich  can  be  used  for  boring  or  cutting.  Here  belong  the 
aphis  and  the  coccus.  Upon  their  extensive  history  we  cannot 
dwell,  but  only  remark  in  pas.sing  they  have,  as  a  tribe  of 
insects,  the  habit  of  concealing  or  masking  them.selves  whenever 
j)ossibIe.  Some  hide  in  a  woolly  or  tnrfy  substance,  like  the 
Amei-ican  blight ;  others  cover  them.selves  with  powder,  or  exude 
a  syrupy  secretion.  Curled  shoots  or  leaves  and  exci'escences 
serve  as  lurking-places  for  many  aphides.  Already,  in  gardens 
and  the  open  country,  the  offensive  bug,  called  cuckoo-spit  or 
frog-l'^”';  '  '.  besmearing  foliage  and  flowers;  it  is  timid  by  its 
as^:ociation  with  the  bird  once  supposed  to  be  the  producer, 
thougli  others  attributed  the  substance  to  a  frog’s  agency,  so 
’tis  said,  thinking  such  a  skipping  insect  must  be  of  kin  to  the 
lively  batrachian.  Here,  too,  are  placed  the  Psyllae,  resembling 
the  aphis  in  some  things,  but  have  a  large  thorax  and  short 
rostrum  or  sucker.  They  have  good  leaping  force,  and  are  often 
a])undant  on  fruit  trees  and  certain  evergreens. — Entomologist. 
The  Resting  oi  Plants  nnder  Cultivation, 
(Concluded  from  page  3S8.) 
Aquatics. 
These  have  a  remarkable  resemblance  in  general  habit  and 
structure,  and  it  is  not  easy  to  determine  which  of  the 
peculiarities  are  realiy  adaptations  to  the  mode  of  life.  A  great 
many  of  them  are  supposed  to  be  descended  from  land  forms, 
which  probably  existed  as  marsh  plants,  and  were  gradually 
driven  into  aquatic  conditions  during  their  struggle  for 
existence. 
In  temperate  regions,  aquatics  rest  with  a  lowering  of  tem- 
lieratnre,  some  of  them  forming  hibernacular  buds  or  resting 
bud.s  at  the  ends  of  the  branches  in  autumn,  -which  drop  off  and 
.sink  to  the  bottom  of  the  water,  coming  up  and  expanding  in 
spring.  Others  do  not  form  these  special  buds,  but  the  stems 
))reak  up  and  sink  to  the  tjottom,  whilst  others  possess  rhizomes 
or  tubers  which  are  embedded  in  the  mud,  and  answer  the  same 
purpose.  Under  these  conditions,  water  plants  are  less  exposed 
to  violent  changes  of  temperature  than  are  the  land  plants. 
In  tropical  countries  aquatics  vegetate  continuously  all  the, 
year  round,  but  in  some  parts  where  a  decided  diy  iieriod  is 
exijerienced,  the  rivei’s  get  very  low,  and  the  aquatics  manage 
to  exist  by  the  protection  afforded  the  fleshy  stems,  tubers,  or 
rhizomes  by  being  embedded  in  the  mud.  A  close  resemblance 
to  this  treatment  is  sometimes  practised  in  gardens,  hut  I  think 
the  majority  do  not  gain  any  benefit  by  being  allowed  to  get 
dry,  although,  perhaps,  it  is  occasionally  their  misfortune  in 
Nature,  even  in  temperate  regions  during  summer.  These 
tender  ones  seem  to  benefit  by  lowering  the  temperature  of  the 
water  during  winter,  especially  the  Nymplneas,  sufficient  to 
withhold  the  production  of  new  leaves.  They  can  also  be  more 
easily  manipulated  when  potting  is  required  in  spring,  and  soon 
respond  to  the  higher  temperature  which  is  applied  after  this 
operation. 
I  will  here  add  a  few  remarks  on  bog  plants  or  marsh  plants, 
which  grow  on  hadly-drained  soil,  which  very  seldom  becomes 
dry,  to  which  conditions  the  plants  are  adapted  in  their 
structure.  Many  of  them  possess  rhizomes,  whilst  others  pro¬ 
duce  resting  buds  in  autumn,  which  in  Nature  are  more  or  less 
buried  beneath  a  growth  of  mo.ss  and  decaying  vegetation. 
IMany  of  our  insectivorous  plants  are  characteristic  of  these 
conditions  of  plant  life,  both  British  and  foreign.  Onr  British 
Droseras  and  Pinguiculas  are  reduced  to  resting  buds  during 
winter,  as  are  also  the  Cape  Dro.seras  and  the  N.  American 
Sarracenias,  and  the  Dionma ;  whilst  the  Australian  Drosera 
dichotoma  is  carried  through  the  resting  season  by  means  of  its 
fleshy  rhizomes  and  roots. 
Under  cultivation  those  which  are  usually  grown  under 
glass  begin  to  lose  their  fresh  appearance  in  the  autumn,  and 
they  sho'idd  then  be  removed  to  a  more  temperate  atmosphere, 
where  their  foliage  will  gradually  be  reduced  to  the  resting 
buds ;  whilst  others  retain  the  old  foliage  throughout  the  winter, 
but  in  all  cases  they  should  never  be  allowed  to  become  dry 
jluring  their  period  of  rest,  although  the  supply  of  water  can 
be  considerably  reduced.  Until  the  last  year  or  two  I  foiuid 
some  difficulty  in  keeping  Diomea  muscipula,  the  Venus’  Fly¬ 
trap,  through  the  resting  season,  owing  to  the  wrong  idea  that  it 
should  be  kept  in  a  warm  house  to  retain  its  foliage  ;  Lut  I 
found  that  it  forms  resting  buds  which,  if  stored  in  a  cooler 
temperature,  will  not  only  survive  the  winter,  but  also  increase 
in  numbers  bv  means  of ‘the  stronger  plants  producing  two  or 
three  resting 'buds  which  give  rise  to  individual  plants  the  fol¬ 
lowing  sea.son.  So  far  as  my  experience  goes,  all  these  plants 
rest  well  by  a  lowering  of  the  temperature,  with  no  lack  of 
water  in  the  soil  at  any  time. 
I  think  I  have  now  mentioned  most  of  the  different  ways  in 
which  plants  obtain  their  rest,  and,  in  conclusion,  would  like 
to  draw  attention  to  what  has  been  done  of  late  years  to  obtain 
flowers,  and  even  fruits,  at  a  time  of  year  which  would 
he  almost  impos.sihle  under  ordinary  treatment.  This  is  the 
retarding  proces.s  which  is  practi.sed  on  such  a  large  scale,  by 
means  of  which  the  plants  obtain  a  decided  rest,  and  respond 
more  readily  to  heat  than  those  which  have  not  been  so  treated, 
ami  can  be  had  in  good  condition  at  any  time  suitable  to  the 
cultivator’s  convenience.  According  to  my  experience,  the 
resting  season  of  plants  is  an  important  item  in  their  lite-history 
in  NaUire;  is  interesting  to  the  enthusiastic  plant  lover  as  a 
study,  and  cannot  he  looked  upon  ivith  too  much  importance 
by  tiiose  who  would  succeed  with  them  under  cultivation.— 
E.  J.  Allard,  Cambrklge  Botanic  Gardens. 
