OBSERVATIONS ON INSECTS 

 AND VERMES. 



INSECTS IN GENERAL. 



THE day and night insects occupy the annuals alternately : the 

 papilios, muscas, and apes, are succeeded at the close of day by 

 phalasnae, earwigs, woodlice, &c. In the dusk of the evening, when 

 beetles begin to buz, partridges begin to call ; these two circum- 

 stances are exactly coincident. 



Ivy is the last flower that supports the hymenopterous and dip- 

 terous insects. On sunny days quite on to November, they swarm 

 on trees covered with this plant ; and when they disappear, probably 

 retire under the shelter of its leaves, concealing themselves between 

 its fibres and the trees which it entwines. WHITE. 



This I have often observed, having seen bees and other winged 

 insects swarming about the flowers of the ivy very late in the 

 autumn. MARK WICK. 



Spiders, woodlice, lepismae in cupboards and among sugar, some 

 empedes, gnats, flies of several species, some phalaenas in hedges, 

 earth worms, &c., are stirring at all times when winters are mild, 

 and are of great service to those soft-billed birds that never 

 leave us. 



On every sunny day the winter through clouds of insects usually 

 called gnats (I suppose tipulas and empedes) appear sporting and 



