Reviews and Extracts. — Jv'otural History. 125 
ineiitioiied in tliem under its viilgai- ap|jellalioii oF "the Turk/' a name bestowed 
U|)on it, probably, in allusion to the devastations which had before been coniniitted 
in Hungary, and the adjacent eastern countries of Europe, by the Mahoniinedan 
conquerors of Constantinople : the application of that name to this species of decay 
is a circumstance which in itself sufficiently evinces the extent of its ravages, and 
the apprehensions entertained of them. 
*' This pest was particularly prevalent, and caused incalculable mischief, about 
the year 1665. In the beginning- of the last century it again showed itself, in the 
Hartz forests — it re-appeared in 1757, redoubled its injuries in 1769,again appear- 
ed in 1780, and was neglected, and in three years aftervrards had destroyed whole 
forests; the number of individual trees destroyed by it in the Hartz alone, being 
calculated at a million and a half. The inhabitants of this extensive range of 
country, were thus threatened with a total suspension of their mining and nietal- 
lurgic operations, for want of fuel, and consequently with ruin itself, entirely 
dependent, as they were, upon those branches of the useful arts. At this period, 
these Bosfrichi, when arrived at their perfect state, in the form of winged beetles, 
migrated in swarms, like bees, into Suabia and Franconia, there to commit simi- 
lar ravages. Atlength, after these repeated injuries, the powers of nature inter- 
fered to mitigate the evil, which want of scientific knowledge, (as we shall 
presently show,) had allowed to gain so alarming a head. Between 1784 and 
1789, in consequence of a succession of cold and moist seasons, the numbers of 
this scourge were sensibly diminished. It appeared again, however, in 1790, 
and so late as 1796, there was great reason to fear for the few Fir trees that were 
left. 
"We will now turn our attention to another insect belonging to the same natural 
family as the Bosfric/iiex Typographiit:, the ravages of which were nearly produ- 
cing similar, though less extensive effects in onr own country, until cheeked by 
the results of scientific knowledge. 
" Of the evil which we have just reviewed as aflecting the forests of Germany, 
St. James's Park, and Hyde Park, in London, from about 1820 to 1824, presented 
many examples. The elm trees in both of these " Lungs of London,"' as they 
have not unaptly been termed, and particularly in St. James's Park, were rapidly 
disappearing. In spring, the leaves were seen to sprout out from the venerable 
trunks, in all the luxuriance of vegetation, when of asudden they were blasted, as 
if by lightning ; the bark fell from the stem, and long ere winter, the finest trees 
perhaps in the Park were fit only for fire-wood. Whole rows thus disappeared, 
and were rapidly disappearing in the Mall and the Birdcage-walk, threatening 
entirely to destroy the antiquated appearance of the Park, associated with the 
recollection of times gone past. 
" As the persons who had the charge of the trees were entirely ignorant of 
the true cause of the mischief, and as it was clear that the trees died in conse- 
quence of being completely stripped of their bark, rewards were at first offered 
for the discovery of the delinquents who so iiischievously barked them ; but these 
were offered in vain. It was observed, however, — and the observation claims 
some credit for its ingenuity, — that no more of the tree was barked from the 
ground, than what was easily within the reach of a soldier's bayonet; and this 
was sufficient to throw suspicion on some unfortunate recruits, of whom more than 
one was arrested, without producing any diminution of the evil. In vain too 
were persons employed to sit up during whole nights, watching for the enemy ; the 
bark coutin\ied to be found every morning at the roots of the trees; and the park- 
keepers, after all their trouble, could only conclude, "that the bark fell of!" in 
consequence of something being placed on the tnuiks in the day-time." Aboiit 
