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tKer-infe£l chufes what kinds of vegetables (ht 
thinks proper, among which to depofit her young. 
In this ftate thefe voracious creatures continue 
for more than three years, devouring the roots of 
every plant they approach, and making their way 
under-ground, in queft of food, with great difpatch 
and facility. At length they grow to above the 
fize of walnuts; being large, thick, and white mag- 
gots, with red heads, and moft commonly difco- 
Vcred in new-tvirned earth, and which is eagerly 
fought after by birds of every fpecies. When they 
have attained their full proportions in the maggot 
flate, they are about an inch and a half long, their 
bodies being compofed of twelve fegments or 
jointSjOn each fide ofwhich are nine breathing-holes, 
and three red feet. Tlieir heads are large in pro- 
portion to their bodies, and of a reddilh colour, 
with pincers before, and femi-circuiar lips, with 
which they cut the roots of plants, and extra6l their 
moifture. As the infefts, while in this ftate, live 
continually under ground, they have no occafion 
for eyes, and accordingly nature has not provided 
them with any; but they are furniflied with two 
feelers, v/hich ierve to direft their motions. 
About the end of the fourth year, the Beetle 
Dorr prepares to emerge from it's fubterraneous 
abode; and, at the latter end of autumn, the 
grub, beginning to perceive the approach of it's 
transformation, buries itfelf deeper and deeper in the 
earth, fometimes fix feet beneath the furface; and 
there forms itfelf a capacious apartment, the walls 
of which, from the excretions of it's body, are ren- 
dered very fmooth and fliining. It's abode being 
thus formed, it foon begins to fhorten itfelf, to 
fwell, and to burft it's laft flcin, in order to alTume 
the form of a chryfalis, which at nrft appears of a 
yellowifh colour; but, being heightened by degrees, 
at laft becomes nearly red. It's external form now 
plainly difcovers all the veftiges of the future wing- 
ed infeft, it's fore-parts being diftinftly feen; v/hile 
the animal, when viewed behind, appears as if wrap- 
ped up in fwaddling-cloaths. 
In this ftate the young Dorr continues for about 
three months longer; but the aurelia does not di- 
veft itfelf of all it's impediments, and become a per- 
fed: winged infeft, till the beginning of January, 
Still, however, the animal is far from attaining it's 
natural ftrength, health, and appetite : it under- 
goes a kind of infantine imbecillity; and, unlike 
moft other infedts, which the inftant they becoirje 
flies have gained their full maturity, the Dorr con- 
tinues for fome time feeble and fickly; it's colour 
is miuch brighter than in the perfed: animal ; all 
it's parts are foft; and it's voracious nature feems 
for a while entirely fufpended. As the animal is 
very often for.nd in this ftate, it is erroneoufty fup- 
pofed by thofe who are unacquainted with it's ge- 
nuine liiftory, that the old ones of the former fea- 
fon have interred themfelves for the winter, in order 
torevifit the fun the enfuing fummer: but the fa6t 
is, the old ones never furvive the feafon after they 
have become denizens of the fky; but, like all the 
other winged tribes of infe6ls, die through cold. 
The Dorr, after having lived near four years in 
it's imperfed ftate, generally burfts from it's fub- 
terraneous abode during fome mild evening about 
the latter end of May; when an attentive obfcrver 
may fee numbers of thefe infeds ifluing up before 
him in his pathway in a very curious and attrad- 
ing manner, even perforating the hardeft parts of 
the earth by their egreflion : and, when the feafon 
is very favourable, they are feen in myriads, buz- 
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zing along, and ftriking againft every object which 
intercepts their flight. The mad-day fun, how- 
ever, feems too powerful for their conftitutions; 
for they then lurk under the leaves and branches of 
fliady trees : the willow feems to be their moft fa- 
vourite food; and on it they fettle in clufters, and 
feldom quit it till they have confumed all the ver- 
dure. In the evenings of thofe feafons which are 
moft favourable to their propagation, they appear 
in incredible numbers ; their continuance, how- 
ever, is but ftiort, as they have many formidable 
enemies to encounter, and the firft fevere weather 
totally annihilates them. 
They begin to copulate foon after they are 
emancipated from their prifons. The Dorrs, in their 
winged ftate, feem much lefs noxious to vegeta- 
tion than when in their imperfedone. In the latter, 
hov/ever, they fometimes deftroy not only the ver- 
dure, but the very roots of plants; and, if the fea- 
thered tribe did not unanimoufly confpire to devour 
them, they would be fatal to agriculture, and pro- 
bably occafion frequent famines. 
Beetle, Water. Thefe Beetles generally 
have feelers like - briftles ; and feet adapted for 
fwimming, being a little bearded like an ear of 
corn ; thefe feet are fix in number, the hinder of 
which are longeft and broad eft. They feldom fly 
abroad in the day time ; but, like the Beetle tribe 
in genera], fliew a prediledion for the night. 
Beetle, Great Water. This infed is an 
inch and a half long; it is entirely of a deep and 
fomewhat glofiy black; the eyes are pretty large; 
the feelers are fhort ; the cafes of the wings are 
fm,ooth on tlie furface, under which the wings have 
a tindure of a filver colour; and the body gradu- 
ally decreafes in fize, till it terminates in a point. 
It is very common in ponds and ditchesj and rioti 
on the more feeble aquatic infeds. , 
Beetle, Black Water, with the cafes of the 
wings yellow on the edges. This fpecies is about 
the fame fize as the Great Water Beetle, but the 
head is fmall in proportion to the body. The eyes 
are large; the legs are ftrong and robuft; the edges 
of the cafes of the wings are very prominent, efpe- 
cially about the middle, where they are of a yelloW 
colour; but every Other part is black. It is com- 
mon. in rivers and brooks. 
Beetle, Goggle-Eyed Water-. This fpecies 
is fomewhat lefs than that laft defcribed; the 
head, liowever, is very large, and the eyes are re- 
markably prominent; the cafes of the wings arc 
marked with ten ftreaks, which are difcontinued 
before they itin the whole leiigth; and the colour 
is wholly of ablackifh brown. 
Beetle, Grey Water. This infed is about 
the fize of the blue flefti-fly; it's breaft is yellow in 
the middle, but black at the top and bottom; the 
cafes of the wings are of a greyifti colour, marked 
with a great number of yellowifli fliining fpecks, 
which at the edges become entirely yellow; 
there is alfo a yellow fpot, in the fliape of a heart, 
with black edges, on the top ; and the point of the 
breaft is obtufe, though flightly forked. 
TinnjEus mentions a Water Beetle with perfoli- 
ated feelers ; that Vv'ith dilated fides ; the common 
Water Beetle; and the Water- flea. Thefe laft" are 
remarkable for fkipping up and down on the 
furface of the water, as if they were. at play; but, 
when the water is troubled, they fink to the bot- 
tom, or conceal themfelves in the holes of the 
banks. 
The other fpecies are, the Water Beetle with a 
yellow 
