R ev. Mr. K l R b y V Obfervations upon Inftcls that prey upon Tiiiibei : 247 



accelerate the decay of the giant inhabitants of the foreft. Nu- 

 merous fpecies of infefts, and in various ways, labour in this depart- 

 ment {a). Some attack living trees, others thofe that are dead. 

 Some depofit their eggs in them, that, when hatched, their larva 

 may feed upon the wood; while others feck only a place well 

 fheltered from wet, cold, birds or other infeds, for the habitation of 

 of their young. Again, fome prey upon the foundeft timber; 

 while others make no attempt upon it till it begins to decay : — but all 

 contribute, in one way or other, to the fame end; one taking up 

 the office, where another refigns it; till that which from its bulk 

 and folidity appeared calculated to laft as long as the earth that 

 gave it birth, by the fucceffive efforts of various kinds of infecls, 

 is reduced in no very long time to its original duft. So powerful 

 are the effe61:s produced by inftruments which we too often over- 

 look or defpife. 



To particularize fome of the fpecies employed in this work, and 

 to point out what trees they attack either for food, or to fecure a 

 fheltered fituation for their offspring, may not be unentertaining, 

 or altogether ulelefs. I fhall therefore mention a few of the indi- 

 viduals of each of the Linnxan claffes, omitting Hemiptera and Neu- 

 roptera, of which I recollea no fpecies that feed or nidificate 

 in wood; referving the Coleoptera, which clafs fends forth the 

 mofl: numerous bands of thefe minute pioneers of nature, to the 

 laft; and concluding the whole with a fhort hiflory of the Cerambyx 

 violacetis of Linnaeus. 



Among the Lepidopterous infe<Els, the larva of the Phala-na Bombyx 



(a) Infefts are not the only labourers employed in this field ; the fame end is pro- 

 moted by the Jlg<c and Fungi. Wicnefs the numerous tribe of Lichens, TrenulU, 

 Jgarici, Bdeti, Auriadarie, Sphxria, &c. which derive their nouriOiment from decay- 

 ing wood, and aflift in its decompofition. 



Co£us 



