THE ELM. 



Gl 



the causes of those diseases among them that appear 

 to be infectious, and often blight at once the planta- 

 tions and the hopes of the planter : " Of the evil 

 which is mentioned above in general terms," he 

 proceeds to observe, " St. James's and Hyde Parks 

 afford us at present too many examples. The elm- 

 trees in both, and particularly in St. James's Park, 

 are rapidly disappearing ; and unless decisive mea- 

 sures be soon taken to resist the progress of the 

 contagion, we must not only expect every tree of 

 this species to be destroyed in the Parks, but may 

 have to regret the dissemination of the evil through- 

 out the vicinity of London. In the year 1780, an 

 insect of the same natural family as the Jiyles'mus 

 destructor, made its appearance in the pine-forests 

 of the Hartz, and was neglected. In the year 1783, 

 whole forests had disappeared, and, for want of fuel, 

 an end was nearly put to the mining operations of 

 that extensive range of country. At the present 

 moment, also, the French Government is in alarm 

 at the devastation committed in their arsenals, by 

 an insect well known to naturalists, under the name 

 of lymexylon navale. About ten years ago, the 

 principal naval engineer at Toulon, M. de Cerisier, 

 who happened to be conversant with entomology, 

 discovered this insect in the dock-yards, and recom- 

 mended certain precautions to be taken for the 

 preservation of the timber there lodged. The French 

 Government objected to the expense requisite for 



