NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE, 207 



sterile ; and besides, in favour of worms, it should be 

 hinted that green corn, plants, and flowers, are not so much 

 injured by them as by many species of coleoptera (scarabs), 

 and tipulce. (long-legs) in their larva, or grub-state ; and by 

 unnoticed myriads of small shell-less snails, called slugs, 

 which silently and imperceptibly make amazing havoc in 

 the field and garden.* 



These hints we think proper to throw out in order to set 

 the inquisitive and discerning to work. 



A good monography of worms would afibrd much enter- 

 tainment and information at the same time, and would open 

 a large and new field in natural history. Worms work 

 most in the spring ; but by no means lie torpid in the dead 

 months ; are out every mild night in the winter, as any 

 person may be convinced that will take the pains to examine 

 his grass-plots with a candle ; are hermaphrodites, and much 

 addicted to venery, and consequently very prolific. 



LETTER XXXVI. 



Selboene, Nov. 22nd, 1777. 



You cannot but remember that the 26th and 27th of last 

 March were very hot days — so sultry that everybody com- 

 plained and were restless under those sensations to which 

 they had not been reconciled by gradual approaches. 



* Farmer Young, of Norton Farm, says, that this spring (1777) 

 about four acres of his wheat in one field were entirely destroyed by 

 slugs, which swarmed on the blades of corn, and devoured it as fast as 

 it sprang. 



