BY WHICH THE VINE IS INFESTED. 197 



The Mdolontha of Aristotle and the Greek authors, which served as 

 a toy for children, is the Cetonia fastuosa. 



The ScarabcBus viridis of Pliny, which the engravers upon gems 

 ioved to contemplate, is also the Cetonia fastuosa. 



The Scarahaus FuUo albis guttis of Pliny is the Cetonia aurata, the 

 ScarabcEus auratus of Linnaeus, which has white spots upon the 

 elytra. 



As it is proved that the Spondyle of Aristotle and Pliny is the 

 Chafer, we have been right in directing our attention to this word, 

 for the Chafer destroys the leaves of the vine, as well as of all other 

 plants. This genus includes a species, smaller than the common one, 

 which entomologists have named the Chafer of the vine, Melolontha 

 Vitis, because it is frequently found upon that plant with the Chafer 

 of Frisch, 3Ielolontha Frisdiii, which is perhaps only one of its 

 varieties* ; but this insect is found almost as frequently upon the 

 leaves of the willow and the rose-tree as upon those of the vine ; and it 

 is not one of those of which our vine-dressers and cultivators particu- 

 larly complain, nor did it attract the attention of agriculturists among 

 the ancients. 



Before concluding my observations upon the word Sj^wndyle, I must 

 not forget to remark that Fabricius has employed it to designate a genus 

 of Coleoptera which he has formed in the family of th« Prioni, and 

 named Spondylis buprestdides, the Attelabus buprestoides of Linnaeus; 

 but this insect, the larva of which lives in the wood of green trees, has 

 no relation to the Spondyle of the ancients, the larva of which attacked 

 the roots of young or annual plants. It was not M. Fabricius's inten^ 

 tion, in selecting this name, to assume that any relation existed between 

 them : but what I have said in my preliminaiy reflections may be ap^ 

 plied to this case, and relieves me from the necessity of extending my 

 observations upon this subject. 



in. Jovlos, or Jidus. — The Jiili. — There is still less reason for the 

 appearance of the name of Joules among those given to insects injurious 

 to the vine than for that of Spondyle, although Suidas has said that 

 the Joulos was a worm of the vine ; but this lexicographer is the only 

 one who has so ill defined the insect of which the ancients have spoken 

 under the name of Joulos. From a comparison of their texts, it appears 

 that the Joulos is an apterous or wingless insect, possessing a great num- 

 ber of feet ; tliat it has the lengthened form of a worm ; moves in a 

 .serpentine manner ; coils itself up when touched; and is found in moist 

 places. Modern naturalists cannot have been mistaken with regard to 

 this insect, for which they have retained the ancient name. The name 



• Walckenaer, Faune Parisietine, vol. i. p. 185. Olivier, Entomologie, 

 genus Hannelon, No. 39. pi. 2. fig. 12. a, b, c. p. 34. vol. i. Schoenherr, %«»- 

 tiymia Insect., vol. i. part iii. p. 193. 



Vol. I—Pakt IL i- 



