62 



CHAPTER II. 



DIllECT BENEFITS FROM MOTHS. 



Among the direct benefits derived from insects, it 

 may be noticed, that the caterpillar of the Great 

 Goat Moth, (the Bomhyx and Cossvs,) was fattened 

 with flour by the luxurious Romans, and considered 

 by them as a great delicacy.* 



Mr Kirby says, " No insects are more numerous 

 in this island than the catei-pillars of Lepidoptera ; if 

 these could be used in the stock of food in times of 

 scarcity, it might serve the double purpose of rid- 

 ding us of a nuisance, and relieving the public 

 pressure." Reaumur suggests this mode of diminish- 

 ing the numbers of destructive caterpillars, speaking 

 of that of Noctua gamma, which did such infinite 

 mischief in France in the year 1 735.t If, however, 

 we take to eating catei-pillars, I should, for my own 

 part, be of the mind of the red-breasts, and eat only 

 the naked ones. J But we will see that there is some 



• Pliny, Ilisl. Nat. i. xvii. c. 24. 

 \ Reaumur, ii. 341. 

 J Ray's Letters, 135. 



