Of a Maggot, which feeds on the grafs in meadows, and a Fly hi^ed 

 from it in the Spring : tvith fome remarks of the author on the 

 Grafshopper and the Lociifl. 



In the month of May I was fliewn, by a countryman, a meadow 

 which, though good land, was very tliinly covered with grafs, and 

 the reafon he gave for it was, th^it a certain fpecies of black, thick, 

 and fliort maggots devoured the roots of the grafs ; and he added, 

 that the grafs would not grow, until there fliould be fome hot wea- 

 ther, by which thefe maggots (called in our language den HemelfJ 

 would be killed. I alked him whether he ever obferved that thefe 

 Maggots changed into fmall Grafshoppers, or into any other flying 

 animal, but to this I received no other anfvver than, that the Maggots 

 would foon difappear if there were but a few hot days, and then the 

 grafs would grow plentifully: and he farther laid, that tlie lower 

 marfliy lands, in which grafshoppers are feldom fcen, were moll 

 infested with thefe creatures. And the country people fay, that 

 after a few hot days they often fee thefe maggots l}ing dead in the 

 fields. 



This information, which I received from different countrymen, 

 was not fatisfa<ftory to me, for I judged that if thefe Maggots were 

 accurately obferved we fhould fee a different appearance, namely, 

 that they would be found to change into flying animals, and the ra- 

 ther, becaufe thefe Maggots, are not found in numbers together, but 

 difperfed about fingly. 



About the beginning of May I went to a meadow which was but 

 thinly covered with grafs, and took with me a couatrvman, an in- 

 telligent perfon, who lived by keeping oxen and horfes at pallure : 



