OF SELBORNE. 
259 
LETTER XCVII. 
TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON. 
As I have sometimes known you make iiKj^uiries about several 
kinds of insects, I sliall here send you an account of one sort 
which I little expected to have found in this kingdom. I have 
often observed that one particular part of a vine growing on the 
walls of my house was covered in the autunni with a black dust- 
like appearance, on which the Hies fed eagerly ; and that the 
shoots and leaves thus affected did not thrive ; nor did the fruit 
ripen. To this substance I applied my glasses ; but could not 
discover that it had anything to do with animal life, as I at first 
expected : but, upon a closer examination behind the larger 
boughs, we were surprised to find that they were coated over with 
husky sliells, from whose sides proceeded a cotton-like substance, 
surrounding a multitude of eggs. This curious and uncommon 
production put me upon recollecting what I have heard and read 
concerning the Coccus vitis vinifcrceoi Linnaeus, which, in the south 
of Europe, infests many vines, and is a horrid and loathsome 
pest. As soon as I had turned to the accounts given of this 
insect, I saw at once that it swarmed on my vine ; and did not 
appear to have been at all checked by the preceding winter, 
which had been uncommonly severe. 
ISTot being then at all aware that it had anything to do with 
England, I was much inclined to think that it came from Gib- 
raltar among the many boxes and packages of plants and birds 
which I had formerly received from thence ; and especially as 
the vine infested grew immediately under my study window, 
where I usually kept my specimens. True it is that I had 
received nothing from thence for some years ; but as insects are, 
we l^now, conveyed from one country to another in a very un- 
expected manner, and have a wonderful power of maintaining 
their existence till they fall into a nidu!^ ])roper for their support 
s 2 
