258 OBSERVATIONS ON 



small species, about half the size of the 

 May-chaffer, and are known in some parts 

 by the name of the fern-chaffer. White. 



A singular circumstance relative to the 

 cock-chaffer, 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 of March, it did not show 

 itself above ground till nearly two months 

 afterwards ? Markwick. 



