244 NATURAL HISTORY 



my study-window, where I usually kept my specimens. 

 True it is that I had received nothing from thence for some 

 years : but as insects, we know, are conveyed from one 

 country to another in a very unexpected manner, and have 

 a wonderful power of maintaining their existence till they 

 fall into a nidus proper for their support and increase, I can- 

 not but suspect still that these cocci came to me originally 

 from Andalusia. Yet, all the while, candour obliges me 

 to confess that Mr. Lightfoot has written me word that he 

 once, and but once, saw these insects on a vine at Wey- 

 mouth in Dorsetshire ; which, it is here to be observed, is a 

 seaport town to which the coccus might be conveyed by 

 shipping. 



As many of my readers may possibly never have heard of 

 this strange and unusual insect, I shall here transcribe a 

 passage from a natural history of Gibraltar, written by the 

 Reverend John White, late vicar of Blackburn in Lancashire, 

 but not yet published : 



" In the year 1770 a vine which grew on the east-side of 

 " my house, and which had produced the finest crops of grapes 

 " for years past, was suddenly overspread on all the woody 

 " branches with large lumps of a white fibrous substance 

 " resembling spiders webs, or rather raw cotton. It was of 

 " a very clammy quality, sticking fast to every thing that 

 " touched it, and capable of being spun into long threads. 

 " At first I suspected it to be the produce of spiders, but 

 " could find none. Nothing was to be seen connected with 

 " it but many broivn oval husky shells, which by no means 

 " looked like insects, but rather resembled bits of the dry 

 " bark of the vine. The tree had a plentiful crop of grapes 

 " set, when this pest appeared upon it ; but the fruit was 

 " manifestly injured by this foul incumbrance. It remained 

 " all the summer, still increasing, and loaded the woody and 

 " bearing branches to a vast degree. I often pulled off great 

 " quantities by handfuls ; but it was so slimy and tenacious 

 " that it could by no means be cleared. The grapes never 

 " filled to their natural perfection, but turned watery and 

 "vapid. Upon perusing the works afterwards of M. de 



