188 INDIRECT INJURIES CAUSED BY IXSECTg. 



tioned as attacking the carrot. In America It is said 

 to suffer much from two beetles, {Li/tta cinerea and xit' 

 irta^ F,) of the same genus with the blister-beetle''; 

 and in the island of Barbadoes some hcmiptcrous in- 

 sect, supposed to be a Tcttigonia, occasionally attacks 

 them. In 1734 and 1735 vast swarms of them devoured 

 almost every vegetable production of that island, par- 

 ticularly the potato, and thus occasioned such a failure 

 of this excellent esculent, particularly in one parish, 

 that a collection was made throughout the island for 

 the relief of the pooi', whose principal food it forms. 



The chief dependance of our farmers for the suste- 

 nance of their cattle in the winter is another most useful 

 root, the turnip. And they have often to lament the 

 distress occasioned by a failure in this crop, of which 

 these minor animals are the cause. On its first coming 

 up, as soon as the cotyledon leaves are unfolded, awhole 

 host of little jumping beetles, composed chiefly of Hah 

 tica Nemornm, called by farmers the j^ and black j(i(:ky 

 attack and devour them ; so that on account of their ra^ 

 vages the land is often obliged to be resown, and frsr 

 quently with no better success. It has been calculated 

 by an eminent agriculturist, that from this cause alone 

 the loss sustained in the turnip crops in Devonshire in 

 178G was not less than 100,000/.^ Almost as much da- 

 mage is sometimes occasioned by a little weevil {Ciircu- 

 lio contractus, E. B.) which in the same manner pierceg 

 a hole in the cuticle. When the plant is more advanced, 

 and out of danger from these pygmy foes, the black larva 

 of a saw-fly ( T^nthredo, L.) takes their place, and oc- 

 casionally does no little mischief, whole districts being 



^ ilHgcr, Mfg. i. ?5G. " Yo'ing's Jnnah ofJgricuUure,r\\. 102. 



