( 30^ ) 



account of their feeding on the Nutmeg, as by laying their eggs, the 

 maggots proceeding from wliich, mufi; be exceedingly pernicious, 

 becauft tlicy acquire their wliole growth within the nut. 



I am perfuadcd, that if the timber and wood inwarehoufes was 

 painted with the common red paint ufed in tliis country, the fpices 

 might be preferved from many noxious infecfts, becaufe the particles 

 of that paint, though ground very fine, are of fo hard a nature, tliat 

 no fmall infect can penetrate them. And if the wood is obferved 

 to be perforated >vith many worm-holes, the paiiuing fhould be 

 repeated until all thofe holes arc (lopped up with it. 



It may be faid indeed, that Nutmegs and Mace are kept but a fliort 

 time in the warehoufes, and therefore not liable to be much injured ; 

 but in that fliort time, and while expofed to dry, they may be in- 

 fe6led by thefe flying infedls laying their eggs among tliem ; and it 

 is well known, that many of thefe creatures lay many eggs in a very 

 little time. Indeed, if Nutmegs and Mace are kept in large heaps in 

 the warehoufes, I believe that only the furface of them might be ex- 

 pofed to injury, becaui'e the infedls cannot penetrate far into the 

 heaps to lay their eggs, and therefore the middle of thefe heaps may 

 be uninjured. 



But thefe matters are all conje61:ure, and, as it were, riddles to us 

 at this dirtance, refpedting which, thofe who are employed upon the 

 fpot, in colle6ting or drying the I'pices, could give much better in- 

 formation, if they were perfons of intelligence and obfervation. 



To return to the infects which I found among the Mace ; I was 

 doubtful how to purfue my enquiry refpe6ting the generation of thele 

 creatures, and the rather, becaufe thofe which I found, were not 

 only dead, but their bodies very much dried, for, had they been 

 living, I doubt not, that I fliould eafily have difcovered the manner 

 in which their fpecies is propagated. 



At length, upon confidering the Ihape and make of thefe mag- 



