20S On the Natural History of North Avicrica. 



mates are extremely favourable to the generation and In- 

 crease of insects : our colds are not sufficient to destroy 

 them. We do not cultivate one important vegetable that 

 is not exposed to the devastations of some highly injuriou:* 

 species of insect. Our wheat, you know, has for manv 

 years greatly suffered by a species of tipula, called by us 

 the Hessian fly. This, at present, is much less formidable 

 in its ravages than it has been. The curculio, or weavil, 

 which it is higlily probable we received from Europe, is 

 still very destructive in the southern parts of the United 

 States. A species of cimex, not, I think, described, as- 

 sists other insects in destroying the finest of all the cerealia ; 

 I mean the zea mays, or Indian corn. Partly owing to the 

 ravages of insects, it is to l)c feared that, in the course of 

 a very few years, there will be a great scarcity of that fine 

 fruit the peach in our country*. I could mention a hun- 

 dred other insects of the most pernicious kinds. It is a 

 melancholy fact, that the industry of my countrymen has 

 been much more exerted in destroying the insects which 

 infest one of the vilest of plants, I mean the tobacco, than 

 in endeavouring to stop tlie ravages of any of those species 

 which lay waste the most useful of our crops ! 



You must not, however, suppose, from what I have said, 

 that the study of entomology is entirely neglected in the 

 United States. On the contrary, this very important branch 

 of natural history (for such, when it is properly cultivated, 

 it unquestionably is,) has several votaries, some of them ar- 

 dent votaries, in our country. The principal of these is 

 the reverend Mr. Valentine Mclscheimer, a clergyman, who 

 employs a portion of his time in the cultivation of this sci- 

 ence, which has always been deemed favourable to religion. 

 This gentleman has discovered several hundred new species 

 of American insects, a catalogue and description of which 

 may, perhaps, be published. I must still regret, however, 

 that it is chiefly the nomenclature of the North American 

 insects that is attended to. Other more important parts of 

 their natural history are too much neglected. Some pro- 

 gress, hov/ever, has already been made in discovering re- 

 medies against the ills which result from these animals. 

 Moreover the useful properties of several other species have 

 been discovered. Various species of the genus lytta of Fa- 

 bricius inhabit our country. The lytta vittata of this en- 



* The unripe fruit of the peach is ^catlf injured by a species of curculio; 

 but the Injects most perrji,:ious to this tree are two lepiJopterous insects, of 

 the genus xy^tena of Fabricius. These, while in the larva state, destroy the 

 hark gf the root. 



tomglogist 



