infests the hombardy -Poplar. 147 



no other experiments, with a responsible subscription, 

 that can, in any degree, be considered as negative. As 

 to the reports of the public papers, they are too idle. 

 These general assertions are the mere apologies for argu- 

 ment, the slander of fact. In raising the most common 

 structure, no builder of prudence would gixe place to 

 materials so coarse, and so unsound. Of this sort of 

 communications, one, truly negative, bald, and barren, 

 appeared in a periodical work of this city, termed the 

 Companion, supposed to be by a gentleman who has 

 some controul over that work, and who, in the commu- 

 nication, undertook to assure the public, that, in every 

 age, by every Naturalist, the Caterpillar, in all its varieties, 

 has ever been considered as innocent. At the ground 

 on which this gentleman stands, we shall presently look, 

 when we come to let those Naturalists speak for them- 

 selves. His communication is an excellent specimen of 

 the ability some gentlemen possess in writing by guess. 

 Nevertheless, we cannot help remarking, that, if grey 

 hairs would write less loosely, and less unguardedly, we 

 might retain longer our veneration for lettered age. But 

 to return. 



In the facts detailed to the public by me, I as yet can 

 detect no fallacy, no imposition ; I have minutely exa- 

 mined into the circumstances. To these, I will add 

 another, the result of experiments performed by a Phy- 

 sician of high respectability and character, of this city. 

 He, as I did, commenced his experiments under a tide 

 of prejudice, running forcibly in contravention of the 

 success of the experiments. This fact has not as yet 

 been given formally to the public. But, as it is of 



