GENERAL NOTES. 



1 Nearly all kinds of grubs, worms, or caterpillars which feed on 

 plants are bred from eggs laid by butterflies, moths, beetles, or other 

 insects. These when full grown turn into the chrysalis or pupa 

 state, and then into the perfect insect. The caterpillar which Walton 

 found on the privet would be the larva of the privet hawk-moth, a 

 moth of great size and beauty. I presume that by " flies of prey " 

 dragon-flies are meant. The larvoe of these are very ferocious- 

 looking creatures, which live in the water. 



2 The palmer-worm is probably the caterpillar of the tiger-moth 

 " woolly bears " the children of Shropshire used to call them. 

 They are very restless in their habits, and are constantly found 

 while wandering about. 



3 I cannot decide from Walton's description what caterpillar this 

 would be. I should like to know. 



4 Du Bartas' assertions are purely apocryphal. There is no such 

 thing as spontaneous generation, and "the goslings hatched of 

 trees " are very rarcn aves. 



6 All these flies are obsolete. See Essay, post. 



9 This is, of course, erroneous, as is also the statement which 

 follows, that certain people turn wolves, although there is a country, 

 " not a hundred miles away," where certain of the people frequently 

 become beasts. 



T " Leistering," or spearing salmon at night by torchlight, used 

 to be a very common amusement in the Welsh and Scottish rivers. 

 The fish are easily seen, and seem to be dazzled by the flare of the 

 burning torch, or fire of straw. 



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