162 Dr. Cutler’s observations on a@ singular natural production. 
doubted both its probability and possibility, and suspected some fraud 
at the bottom; others were unwilling to admit this suspicion, be- 
cause something not entirely foreign to this subject had been advanc- 
ed by the Rev. Father Torrubia in his Natural History of New Spain,* 
who relates, that ina certain field in the island of Cuba, not far from. 
Havanna, he had found numerous dead wasps, which perfectly retain: 
ed thew form, but from the abdomen there was produced a small 
plant, furnished with very acute prickles, which was called by the in- 
habitants Gia, and that it grew to the height of some hand breadths. 
The prickles were supposed by the Spaniards to —— from the 
sting of the wasp. 
The similarity of these productions seemed to favour the opinion 
of those, who were inclined to believe a real metamorphosis, but on 
examination by the celebrated Hill (perhaps Sir John), the nature of 
them was detected, the clouds of mystery dispersed, and the real trutli_ 
brought to view. He found the insect was a Cicada of that kind, 
which Aristotle and the ancients called Tettigometra, and that the 
plant was a fungus of the family of Clavaria, which he called Clavaria 
sobolifera, from its putting forth new shoots from the middle of the 
stem. Small fungi of this genus are found growing in various ani- 
mal matters in a state of decay ; as for instance that in the hoofs of 
horses, called thence by Ray, Fungus e pede equino. ‘The Cicade en 
ter the earth in order to pass from the larva to the winged state. If 
the season is unfavourable, vast numbers of them perish, and the seeds 
of Clavaria, finding i in the decaying insects.a proper soil.and nutrimen’ 
grow into the state, in which the specimens abovementioned were 
found. Thus far is the operation of nature : ; but being seen in awex- ; 
travagant light, it has been = to be a miraculous transform? 
SPAT OSes see tee rE See 
* This work was published in Ses Maat 1754. 
