OBSERVATIONS ON INSECTS AND VERMES. 405 



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 observed swarms of 

 little winged insects playing up and down in the air in the middle 

 of winter, even when the ground has been covered with snow. 

 MARKWICK. 



HUMMING IN THE AIR. 



There is a natural occurrence 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 humming 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 Mpney-dells to Mr. 

 White's avenue gate. Any person would suppose 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. 

 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 Scarabczus solstitialis 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 Maychaffer, 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, {Scarab&us melolontha\ happened this 

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



