or SELBORNE. 155 



jumping on the leaves of the turnips or 

 cabbages. 



There is an Oestrus, known in these parts 

 to every ploughboy ; which, because it is 

 omitted by LinncBus, is also passed over by 

 late writers ; and that is the curvicauda of 

 old Moufet, mentioned by Derham in his 

 Physico-theology, p.250 : aninsect worthy 

 of remark for depositing its eggs as it flies 

 in so dexterous a manner on the single hairs 

 of the legs and flanks of grass-horses. But 

 then Derham is mistaken when he advances 

 that this Oestrus is the parent of that won- 

 derful star-tailed maggot which he men- 

 tions afterwards ; for more modern entomo- 

 logists have discovered that singular pro- 

 duction to be derived from the e^g of the 

 musca chamceleon : see Geoffroi/, t. 17, f. 4. 

 A full history of noxious insects hurtful 

 in the field, garden, and house, suggesting 

 all the known and likely means of destroy- 

 ing them, would be allowed by the public 

 to , be a most useful and important work. 

 What knowledge there is of this sort lies 

 scattered, and wants to be collected ; great 



