138 October 1748. 



when I firft perceived them, I was more fright- 

 ened than I fhould have been at the light of a 

 viper. For I at once had a full view of the 

 whole damage, which my dear country would 

 have fuffered, if only two or three of thefe noxi- 

 ous infefts had efcaped me. The pofterity of ma- 

 ny families, and even the inhabitants of whole 

 provinces, would have had fufficient reafon to de- 

 left me, as the caufe of fo great a calamity. I after- 

 wards fent fome of them, though well fecured, 

 to Count TeJJin, and to Dr. Linnceus > together 

 with an account of their deftruftive qualities. 

 Dr. Linntzus has already inferted a defcription of 

 them in an Academical Differtation, which has 

 been drawn up under his prefidency, and treats 

 of the damages made by infeds.* He there calls 

 this infeft the Brucbus of North America.^ It 

 was very peculiar that every pea in the paper was 

 eaten without exception. 



WHEN the inhabitants of Penfyfoavia, fow 

 peafe procured from abroad, they are not com- 

 rnonly attacked by thefe infeds for the firft 

 year 5 but in the next they take pofleffion of the 



rope with this infect, yet Dr. Linnaus aflures us, in his Syflema 

 Naturae, that the fouthern countries of Euro ft are already infefted 

 with it ; Scopdi mentions it among his InfeSa Carniolica, p. 63. 

 and Geoffrey, among his Parijian Infefis, Vol. i. p. 267. t. 4. 

 f, 9. has given a fine figure of it. F. 



* DifT. de Ncxa Tnfedorum, Amcen. Acad. Vol. 3. p. 547. 



f In his Syftema Naturae, he calls it Bruehus Piji, or the Peafe 

 Beetle ; and fays, that the Gracula Quifcula, or Purple daiv of 

 Catejly, is the greatefl deftroyerof them, and though this bird has 

 fceen profcribed by the legiflature of Pmfyl c v(inia > AVu> Jerfiy, and 

 tie*v* England, as a maize- thief, they feel however the imprudence 

 of extirpating this bird : fora quantity of worms, which formerly 

 were^eaten by thefe birds, deftroy their meadows at prefent. F. 



pea. 



