NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 45 



the hand of God, was ftretched out todeftroy the cabbage, grals, 

 hemp, and flax, but not the corn, which they feemed to have 

 orders to leave j for they never hurt it. 



The fevere year, 174.2, ft ill frefh in our memories, was re- 

 markable alfb for thefe worms, and for their confequences. On 

 Palm-funday they were feen by many people, as they were going 

 to church, lying on the fnow, and groping for the earth ; which 

 has been allured me by Hr. profeffor Erich Grave, who lent to 

 me, living at that time in Copenhagen, written atteftations re- 

 lating to it, which I fhewed his late majefty king Chriftian the 

 Vlth, who was defirous of knowing the origin of thefe worms, 

 but did not much credit that atteftation, though fubfcribed by 

 feveral farmers in Rygge Sogn, near Mofs. 



Hr. juftice counfellor Detharding, then preceptor of phyfick 

 in the univerfity of Copenhagen, held immediately a lefiure, or 

 difputation, thereon, which he called Difquifitio phyfica ver- 

 mium inNorvegia, qui noviter vifi, '&c. wherein his opinion is, 

 that the eggs of thefe worms, which had remained from the laft 

 Summer in the cracks, and on the branches of the adjoining trees, 

 fell from thence with the fnow, and not from the air 5 and par- 

 ticularly he takes the pains, in his excellent method, to demon- 

 ftrate, that thefe worms are not (according to the publick notion) 

 any thing new or uncommon, or different fhaped ; for that, after 

 he had examined the make and form of them in a microfcope, 

 according to the plate annex'd, he found them to be ex genere 

 erucarum, or of the common Caterpillar kind, which the trees 

 are full enough of, . both here and in other places. 



He fhews that they, like thefe, have a horny fhell on the head, 

 fixteen feet, the fix foremoft armed with fharp claws, the eight 

 hinder on the body flat, to go upon, and two hindmoft of all 

 placed by themfelves ; alfo, that they were, in general, fmooth, 

 tho' a little hairy, in ornamental tufts, about the body. 



Firft, he aflerts, that thefe erucse, like other common Cater- 

 pillars, change into the fo called Nymphas, or hide, or cover 

 themfelves, a fhort time, in a roundifh fhell, and become in- 

 fenfible ; and then, that they come forth in the fhape of a butter- 

 fly. The only thing in which they fhew any fenfible difference 

 is, that thefe Norvegian worms were of a black colour, which 

 is like the fineft black velvet, This colour Hr. Detharding is 

 of opinion they had received under the fnow, which uncommon 

 confinementmight this year have effected feme uncommon change 

 in their delicate bodies. 



Part II. N This 



