ON INSECTS AND VERMES. 369 



On every sunny day, the winter through, clouds 

 of insects, usually called gnats, (I suppose tipulce and 

 empedes,) appear sporting and dancing over the tops 

 of the evergreen trees in the shrubbery, and frisking 

 about as if the business of generation was still going 

 on. Hence it appears that these diptera (which by 

 their sizes appear to be of different species) are not 

 subject to a torpid state in the winter, as most 

 winged insects are. At night, and in frosty weather, 

 and when it rains and blows, they seem to retire 

 into those trees. They often are out in a fog. 



WHITE. 



This I have also seen, and have frequently ob- 

 served swarms of little winged insects playing up and 

 down in the air in the middle of the winter, even 

 when the ground has been covered with snow. 



MARKWICK. 



HUMMING IN THE AIR. There is a natural occur- 

 rence to be met with upon the highest part of our 

 down in hot summer days, which always amuses me 

 much, without giving me any satisfaction with respect 

 to the cause of it; and that is, a loud audible hum- 

 ming of bees in the air, though not one insect is to 

 be seen. This sound is to be heard distinctly the 

 whole common through, from the Money-dells, to 

 Mr. White's avenue gate. Any person would sup- 

 pose that a large swarm of bees was in motion, and 

 playing about over his head. This noise was heard 

 last week, on June 28th. 



" Resounds the living surface of the ground, 

 Nor undelightful is the ceaseless hum 



To him who muses at noon. 



Thick in yon stream of light, a thousand ways, 

 Upward and downward, thwarting and convolv'-d, 

 The quivering nations sport." THOMSON'S Seasons. 



WHITE. 

 Bb 



