298 DIRECT BENEFITS DERIVED FROM INSECTS. 



oysters, as we are at their eating locusts 2 ." That this 

 would have been the case is clear, at least as far as re- 

 o-ards the former position, from the practice in other 

 parts of the world, both in ancient and modern times, to 

 which, begging you to lay aside your English prejudices, 

 I shall now call your attention; first observing by the 

 way, that the insects used as food, generally speaking, 

 live on vegetable substances, and are consequently much 

 more select and cleanly in their diet than the swine or 

 the duck, which form a favourite part of ours. 



Many larvae that belong to the order Coleoptera are 

 eaten in different parts of the world. The grub of the 

 palm-weevil {Calandra Palmarum), which is the size of 

 the thumb, has been long in request in both the Indies. 

 iElian speaks of an Indian king, who, for a dessert, in- 

 stead of fruit set before his Grecian guests a roasted 

 worm taken from a plant, probably the larva of this in- 

 sect, which he says the Indians esteem very delicious — 

 a character that was confirmed by some of the Greeks 

 who tasted it b . Madam Merian has figured one of these 

 larvae, and says that the natives of Surinam roast and 

 eat them as something very exquisite . A friend of 

 mine, who has resided a good deal in the West Indies, 

 where the palm-grub is called Grugru, informs me that 

 the late Sir John La Forey, who was somewhat of an epi- 

 cure, was extremely fond of it when properly cooked. 



The larvae also of the larger species of the Capricorn 

 tribe (Ceranibycida) are accounted very great delica- 



a Walpole in Clarke's Travels, ii. 187. Even Mr. Boyle speaks with 

 abhorrence of eating raw oysters. Walton's Angler, Life, p. ] 2, 

 b jElian. Hisf. 1. xiv. c. 13. quoted in Reaum. ii= 343. 

 - Ins, Stir, 48, 



