446 The Natural History of Selborne 



CHAFFERS. 



COCKCHAFFERS seldom abound oftener than once in three 

 or four years; when they swarm, they deface the trees and 

 hedges. Whole woods of oaks are stripped bare by them. 



Chaffers are eaten by the turkey, the rook, and the house- 

 sparrow. 



The Scarabceus solstitiahs first appears about June 26th : 

 they are very punctual in their coming out every year. They 

 are a small species, about half the size of the Maychafler, 

 and are known in some parts by the name of the fern chaffer. 

 WHITE. 



A singular circumstance relative to the cockchaffer, or as it 

 is called here, the May-bug (Scarabceus melolontha], happened 

 this year (1800): My gardener, in digging some ground, 

 found, about six inches under the surface, two of these insects 

 alive and perfectly formed, so early as the 24th of March. 

 When he brought them to me, they appeared to be as perfect 

 and as much alive as in the midst of summer, crawling about 

 as briskly as ever : yet I saw no more of this insect till the 

 22nd of May, when it began to make its appearance. How 

 comes it, that though it was perfectly formed so early as the 

 24th March, it did not show itself above ground till nearly 

 two months afterwards ? MARKWICK. 



PTINUS PECTINICORNIS. 



THOSE maggots that make worm-holes in tables, chairs, bed- 

 posts, &c., and destroy wooden furniture, especially where 

 there is any sap, are the larva; of the Ptinus pcciiniconiis. 

 This insect, it is probable, deposits its eggs on the surface, 

 and the worms eat their way in. 



In their holes they turn into their pupre state, and so come 

 forth winged in July; eating their way through the valances 

 or curtains of a bed ; or any other furniture that happens to 

 obstruct their passage. 



