266 
NATURAL HISTORY 
boughs, we were furprifed to find that they were coated over with 
hulky Ihells, from whofe fides proceeded a cotton-Uke fubftance, 
furroundhig a multitude of eggs. Tliis curious and uncommon 
produftion put me upon recolleding what I have heard and read 
concerning the coccus vitls vmfera of Linnaus, which, in the fouth 
of Europe, infefts many vines, and is an horrid and loathfome peft. 
As foon as I had turned to the accounts given of this infeft, I faw 
at once that it fwarmed on my vine ; and did not appear to have 
been at all checked by the preceding winter, which had been un- 
commonly fevere. 
Not being then at all aware that it had any thing to do with 
England, I was much inclined to think that it came from Gibraltar 
among the many boxes and packages of plants and birds which 
I had formerly received from thence ; and efpecially as the vine 
infefled grew immediately under my ftudy-vvindow, where i 
xifually kept my fpccimens» True it is that I had received nothing 
from thence for fome years : but as infeds, we know, are con- 
veyed from one country to another in a very unexpeded manner,, 
and have a wonderful power of maintaining their exiftence tilt 
they fall into a nidus proper for their fupport and increafe, I 
cannot but fufped ftill that thefe cocci came to me originally from, 
Andalufta, Yet, all the while, candour obliges me to confefs that 
Mr. Ligktfoot has written me word that he once, and but once, faw 
thefe infeds on a vine at Weymouth m Dorfetjhire ; which, it is 
here to be obferved, is a fea-port town to which the coccus might 
be conveyed by fhipping. 
As many of my readers may poflibly never have heard of this 
ftrange and unufual infe<ft, I fliall iKre tranfcribe a pafiage from 
a natural hhlory of Gibraltar, written by the Reverend John Wljite, 
Ute vicar cf Blackburn in Lancojlme., but not yet publilhed ; — 
In 
