208 JULY. 



Prionus coriarius. It is a fact generally ob- 

 served that insects multiply extremely in pecu- 

 liar habitats. Providence having assigned to 

 each animal its peculiar offices and instincts, 

 seems to have ordained that in situations where 

 the agency of numbers is required, the increase 

 of the tribe should keep pace with the increas- 

 ing necessity for its existence. In the northern 

 regions, where vegetation is scant, and where 

 the evils arising from fallen timber is scarcely 

 felt, the species of Cerambicidse, or Wood- 

 dispersers, (to which tribe the Prionus coriarius 

 is referred,) are few, and the individuals of each 

 species rarely met with. In the temperate 

 zone, where vegetation is more abundant, the 

 insects of this class increase in proportion ; and 

 in tropical climates, where vegetation is luxuri- 

 ant, and where tornado and storms concur with 

 other causes to desolate large tracts of country, 

 and fell the trees of the forest, — there, to pre- 

 vent the evils which the progress of vegetation 

 would sustain from the fallen trees, the benig- 

 nity of Providence has caused the Cerambicida? 

 to abound : myriads of large and various species 

 unite to remove the evil. The enormous trees 

 of the tropics vanish, as it were, before these 

 little agents of supreme power, and room is con- 

 sequently left for Nature to manifest herself 

 once more in varied but generous profusion. 



