288 coccus. 



nothing from hence for some years : but as in- 

 sects, we know, are conveyed from one country 

 to another in a very unexpected manner, and 

 have a wonderful power of maintaining their 

 existence till they fall into a nidus proper for 

 their support and increase, I cannot hut suspect 

 still that these cocci came to me originally from 

 Andalusia. Yet, all the while, candour obliges 

 me to confess, that Mr. Lightfoot has written me 

 word, that he once, and but once, saw these insects 

 on a vine at Weymouth, in Dorsetshire ; which, 

 it is here to be observed, is a seaport town to 

 which the coccus might be conveyed by shipping. 



As many of my readers may possibly never 

 have heard of this strange and unusual insect, I 

 shall here transcribe a passage from a Natural 

 History of Gibraltar, written by the Reverend 

 John White, late vicar of Blackburn, in Lanca- 

 shire, but not yet published : 



" In the year 1770, a vine, which grew on the 

 east side of my house, and which had produced 

 the finest crops of grapes for years past, was 

 suddenly overspread, on all the woody branches, 

 with large lumps of a white fibrous substance 

 resembling spiders' webs, or rather raw cotton. 

 It was of a very clammy quality, sticking fast to 

 every thing that touched it, and capable of being 

 spun into long threads. At first I suspected it 

 to be the product of spiders, but could find none. 

 Nothing was to be seen connected with it, but 

 many brown oval husky shells, which by no means 

 looked like insects, but rather resembled bits of 

 the dry bark of the vine. The tree had a plen- 

 tiful crop of grapes set, when this pest appeared 

 upon it ; but the fruit was manifestly injured by 

 this foul encumbrance. It remained all the sum- 

 mer, still increasing, and loaded the woody and 



