125 



which visited this part of the county about 1797, that I will 

 first copy it : — 



" In the year 1734, a few caterpillars, of a peculiar kind, 

 appeared on the oak trees as soon as the leaves began to grow. 

 In 1735 a much larger number, one hundred to one, were seen, 

 but in this year (1736) the number was astonishing. Almost 

 all the woods in Haverhill and Bradford, (some part of the 

 east end excepted,) the east part of Chester and Andover, 

 many thousand acres of thick woods, had their leaves and 

 twigs of this year's growth entirely eaten up — so that the trees 

 were as naked as rn the depth of winter. They were larger 

 than common caterpillars, and made no nests. No river or 

 pond could stop them ; they would swim like dogs, and travel 

 in unaccountable armies, and completely cover whole houses 

 and trees. Cart and carriage wheels would be dyed green, 

 from the number they crushed in their progress !" 



Mr. Kichard Kelley, of Amesbury, in his diary, says, " They 

 arc larger than the orchard caterpillar, but smooth on the back, 

 with a black streak with white spots." 



I have never seen, in print or manuscript, any account of a 

 very similar calamity which occurred within the memory of 

 the writer. 



About 1797, similar worms began to appear upon the oaks, 

 which so increased in three or four years, that the oak wood 

 lands were cleared of leaves, and the trees made no deeper 

 shade in August than in winter ! The white oaks enjoyed a 

 partial exemption, but the red, black and yellow oaks were 

 entirely stripped of leaves. When they left the trees, they in- 

 fested all the buildings which were near oak woods, and I have 

 a pretty distinct recollection that their swimming qualities were 

 then noticed. 



Mr. Kelley's description does not exactly apply to these ;* 

 they were mostly black, with a stripe of yellow on each side of 

 the back, and crawled raj^idly with many legs. The cart ruts, 

 in a sandy road leading through my father's woodland, gath- 



