C74S) 
This 1 thought remarkable, that thefe young and 
tender Worms Ihould live on a courier Diet, and fare 
more hardly than their ftrong and older Parents, whofe 
Food was the fine foft Subftance of Leaves and BloflomSj 
whilft thefe fed upon the tough and almoft Ligneous Fi- 
bres of the Roots of Plants. But I find Dr. Lijler has 
obferved the like difference between the Diet of common 
CatterpiOarsmd thdx Butterflies ; thofe eating the grot 
fer Food of Leaves, whilft thefe live only on the pure 
refined Meal, and moft fpiritous Juice of Flowers; And 
this feems one of the wift Contrivances of Nature, that 
adapts as moft proper the Airy finer Nourifhment, for 
the more agiie and l.fght Body of the Volatile Infe£i^ 
while the fame Animal, when a dull Reptile Worm, is 
fuftained by a more grols and terrene Food, more fitting 
to its flow and heavy Nature. 
But notwithftanding this Plague of Vermin did thus 
mightily prevail and infeft the Country, yet it would 
have been ftill much m.ore violent, had not its Rage been 
fortunately checkt feveral ways. 
High Winds, Wet and Mifling Weather, were ex^ 
treamly difagreable to the Nature of this Infedt ; and fo 
prejudicial as to deftroy many Millions of them in one 
Days Time: Whence I gather, that though we have 
them in thefe Northern Moift Climates, they are more • 
natural, and more peculiarly belonging to Warm and 
Dry Countries. Whenever thefe ill Conftitutions of the 
Air prevailed, their Bodies were fo enfeebled, they would 
let go their holds, and drop xo the Ground from the 
Branches where they ftuck, and fo little a fall as this, 
at thattime, was of fufBcient force quite to dilable, and ^ 
fometimes perfedtly kill them. Nay, itwasobfervable, 
that even when they were moft Agile and Vigorous, a 
flight. Blow or Offence would for fome time hinder ^ 
their Motion, if not deprive them of Life, which was ^ 
, • ' ' " very 
