74 UK1>I.H I OIXOPTMIA. 



thti uaU< luon (lip«, ami tlio fi'iualc |>vrr»rati-.<t thn S'lil (•> lli«- <i<*|>lh or « r<*>l, where i>h<- 

 depo^il^ h'T fg^^ : they un< Ovn alMiailoiirtt, and nln' n'luriis lu (lie jiurfiin- (•< n-tiiniii a 

 •hurl lliiic, whrn >ho al« > jhtNIhm. Th<' cggi art* Mild lo hatrh iu aUiut ritiirtct'ii ilatii. The 

 j|ruh< arc whltMi, nrnl |>r»viilr<l willi six lcg<t ^iClUlt(■«i mar the lirmi,Miid a |>air of Mruiig 

 jaws : their heiiA* arc bruwa. Thr<w< un- the griil« that nre rrcijiieiitly ]>lutighe<l up in oM 

 fiftldi, uf a graj'lith white color, an inch or iiiur«* in lengtli and a quurirr ofan inch thick : 

 th»y lif Qexcd in the f.»rm of n circle. Thej live during the summer ni-nr the ourrnee, 

 au'rtitilng upon the r<Mjt.H of pluals, which thi-r <lev<>ur in large •ju>intitie<» : ai winter 

 api>r>.iih<*'<, tilt \ .1 H.-end Im low thi* reach of fn»t, wher»« tln-y l>ec<iuje l"rpi<l. Three or 

 four <Ma«>M> iir< sjm iit in this w.t) , till Onall) the) I'orni n bidl <>rJin ••Viil ^hn|•<•, in which 

 they enclose theni-clves itid undergo tln-ir trnnor<>rmutiou. 



Tlic niv«nes of this gruh may l>e much diminished l>y all<">wing en>ws and jaj« to 

 fluent th« grouniis infested hy them : indeed it is the most fio-sible way of getting ri«i 

 of them ; an I alth->ugh most farmers and gardeners carry on an exterminating war with 

 crows and Mackhirds, yet these Mnekcoated TngalH>nds, as Wii.sos calls tlirm, an- l»y no 

 rarntis such gr.Ml r.is.-.ils as they arc represented : they have nnlecming iiualitii-!i,and the 

 destruction of grulis and wircworms are real lieneflls which tluy confer u|K«n the farmer. 

 The In-etles thems4'lves arc dev««ure«l l>y skunks. 



Tile It-ellesof this genus have Ix-en very aKundunt at distant intervals : alinoNi in- 

 OKxlilde accountji are given of their numU-rs, es]H-ciully of the Kiiropeau sixcii s. 



Among the numeruiu remedies recommended f<>r «le«lroylni; the larva, )d<>ughing, no 

 doubl, wi>uld have the rnW-t of thrt>wing many of them within the nach of frr>!>t ; hut if 

 done too early, they would have time to l.ury thems«>lves again. The larvir and j>erfert 

 insects ore fn*.piently Men when the ground is lin>ken up in the spring ; and many are 

 then destroyed hy cn>ws and l>Iackl>irds, which l'oll..w the ploughman to gutlur whatever 

 njay Ij«' exjioseil suilalde for their sustenance ; they are also desln>yed hy foM-s, wea.s<-l>, 

 owls, and, nconling to Dr. Hahkis. tlie skunk. 



The following extnicis are from I,<«i ixi^'s Magazine of Natural Hi-l-n-, Vol. \i, p. 

 142 - 4 : the rook is n .sptcies of crow . 



*A strong prejudice is felt hy many jH-rsons against ntoks,onacc«>tintof their desiMying 

 grain and potatoes ; and s<> far is this e.irric«l, that I know persons who offer a reward for 

 every n>ok that is killc«l on their laml ; yet so mi>takcn do I deem them, as to consider 

 that no living creature is so serviceable lo the fanner, except the live stock he kecjis t n 

 his farm, a-' the r.t.k. In the n<-ii;lib« rluM«l of my native place is a rookery in which it l.s 

 estimiN'd there are ten Ih >us.ind rooks ; that 1 ll>. of f » d a week is a very mo«lenile al- 

 I »w.ince for e.uh bird ; and that ninr-lenlhs of their PhmI consist of w> rnis, ins«'c!s. and 

 th.'ir larvre : for althou.;h they doc >nsidcrablc damage for o few wi*ks in sec«llimeand a 

 f«<w w.fWs In harvest, p irlicularly in backward seasons, yet o very large prrtportion of 

 their f>j<l,cvcn at ih -sc seasons, consists of ins'cis and worms, which (if we except a few 



