48 OBSERVATIONS IN 



they eat the vegetables when grown. Gardeners find the inconveniency 

 of this ; for they find the young pease and beans eaten as they rise, 

 young cabbages with other plants, also the leaves of trees, and the fruit 

 when ripe. 



The natural history of beetles I do not so much know, but should 

 suppose that they live upon smaller insects, as I know that some of 

 them live upon flesh, such as cockroaches [which, however, are not 

 beetles, though commonly so called]. 



Flies are known to be very hurtful, besides being very troublesome. 

 They spoil meat by blowing it, fruit, &c. ; and are very troublesome in 

 this fly-state. 



Butterflies are veiy hurtful when in their grub-state : they eat the 

 leaves of trees ; also of cabbages and other greens. 



Spiders are not so hurtful ; indeed, in one sense, they are useful, as 

 they hive upon flies : but they are very nasty in forming webs in rooms, 

 &c. However, the good I think arising from them is more than the 

 inconveniency ; but, as some of our animals live upon others as well as 

 spiders, we must let them be destroyed ; for of two " goods" choose the 

 "greatest." 



Grasshoppers. Their natural history I do not know ; but, as they 

 are something like the locust, I should suppose that they live like them. 

 There is a kind of them (crickets) about bakers' shops, that live upon 

 the flour. 



Ants live mostly upon corn, but they also eat meat. 



Locusts live upon greens, as we hear of their destroying whole fields 

 of corn ; but, I should suppose, when green. 



Mice. We all know their natural history. 



Now it will be necessary to adapt each animal to its proper food, 

 which will show the most useful animals, and at the same time will 

 lead us to keep or destroy them as we find occasion for them. 



The snake and the viper I believe feed alike, and I believe they live 

 mostly upon land-mice. Lizards live upon snails, worms, flies, beetles, 

 and spiders. Hedgehogs live upon mice, frogs, &c. Frogs live upon 

 worms, beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies, both in their grub- and fly- 

 state ; besides, they keep water clean of smaller animals. The Bel- 

 leisle 1 green frog \Rana arborea] is of great service, as it lives principally 

 in trees upon insects, &c., while in their grub-state. Toads : their 

 natural history is much like the frogs. Moles five upon worms prin- 

 cipally. Bats live principally upon night-flies. 



Many animals, besides these mentioned, are of vast importance in 



1 [Hunter was at the siege of Belleisle. in 1761.] 



