iQ PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1763. 



lish insect. In the mouth of May it buries itself in the earth and begins to 

 vegetate. By the latter end of July the tree is arrived at its full growth, and 

 resembles a coral branch ; and is about 3 inches high, and bears several little pods, 

 which dropping off become worms, and from thence flies like the English cater- 

 pillar." An account of this extraordinary production similar to the above, was 

 given to Dr. Huxham by Capt. Gascoign, who lately commanded the Dublin man 

 of war, which had been at Dominica. The doctor subjoins, that possibly Dr. W. 

 might have heard of this fly, or seen it in the collections of the British Mu- 

 seum, or Royal Society ; but if it was in neither, he believed he could procure 

 it to be sent to the Royal Society. 



Though Dr. H. could by no means think the above relation true in all its circum- 

 stances, yet he was persuaded there was something of reality in it ; which perhaps 

 further accounts and observations might set in a full and true light; though as 

 above represented, it seemed quite repugnant to the usual order of nature. As 

 Dr. W. had never seen this production himself, but had been informed that Dr. 

 Hill had had the examination of some of them, he wrote to that gentleman to 

 desire to be informed of the result of his inquiries. To which he very obligingly 

 sent the following answer. 



" When Colonel Melvil brought these flies from Guadaloupe, Lord Bute sent 

 me the box of them to examine. The result was this. There is in Martinique 

 a fungus of the Clavaria kind, different in species from those hitherto known. It 

 produces soboles from its sides. I call it therefore Clavaria Sobolifera. It grows 

 on putrid animal bodies, as our fungus ex pede equinofrom the dead horse's hoof. 

 The Cicada is common in Martinique, and in its iiympha state, in which the old 

 authors call it Tettigometra, it buries itself under dead leaves to wait its change ; 

 and when the season is xmfavourable many perish. The seeds of the Clavaria 

 find a proper bed on this dead insect, and grow. The Tettigometra is among the 

 Cicadae in the British Museum : the Clavaria is just now known. This you may 

 be assured is the fact, and all the fact : though the untaught inhabitants suppose 

 a fly to vegetate ; and though there exists a Spanish drawing of the plant's grow- 

 ing into a tri-foliate tree : and it has been figured with the creature flying with 

 this tree on its back- So wild are the imaginations of man: so chaste and uni- 

 form is nature !" 



Commissioner Rogers, at Dr. Huxham's desire, presented this extraordinary 

 production to the Royal Society. A careful examination of it (says Dr. Wat- 

 son) seems to confirm, to me at least. Dr. Hill's opinion of the manner of 

 this phenomenon's being produced. Mr. Edwards has taken notice of this extra- 

 ordinary production in his Gleanings of Natural History, and has given us a figure 

 of it in that elegant work. 



