300 DIRECT BENEFITS DERIVED PROM INSECTS. 



That this would have been the case is clear, at least as 

 far as regards the former position, from the practice in 

 other parts of the world, both in ancient and modern 

 times, to which, begging- you to lay aside your English 

 prejudices, I shall now call your attention; first ob- 

 serving by the way, that the insects used as food, gene- 

 rally speaking, live on \ egetable substances, and are 

 consequently much more select and cleanly in their diet 

 than the swine or the duck, Avhich form a favourite part 

 of ours. 



Many larvse that belong to the order Coleoptera are 

 eaten in different parts of the world. The grub of the 

 palm- weevil {Calandra Palniarum), which is the size of 

 the thumb, has been long in request in both the Indies, 

 ^lian speaks of an Indian king, who, for a dessert, in- 

 stead of fruit set before his Grecian guests a roasted 

 worm taken from a plant, probably the larva of this in- 

 sect, which he says the Indians esteem very delicious 

 — a character that was confirmed by some of the Greeks 

 who tasted it''. Madam Merian has figured one of these 

 larva?, and says that the natives of Surinam roast and 

 eat them as something very exquisite''. A friend of 

 mine, who has resided a good deal in the West Indies, 

 where the palm-grub is called Grugru, informs me that 

 the late Sir John La Forey, who was somewhat of an 

 epicure, was extremely fond of it when properly cooked. 



The larvffi also of the larger species of the Capricorn 

 tribe {Ceramhi/cidce) are accounted very great delica- 

 cies in many countries ; and the Cossus of Pliny, which 

 he tells us the Roman epicures fattened with flour % 



^ IE\\a.n,IIist. 1. xiv. c. 13. quoted in Reaum. ii. 343. 

 " Ins. Sur. 48. " Hut. Nat. 1. xvii. c. 24. 



