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uients for recreation and to procure support. The 
egg is deposited in June and July, amongst 
vegetables, weeds, &c,, and is brought into exist- 
ence in July and August. Droughty summers are 
most congenial to the whole process of this insect, 
and wet weather has the contrary eflFect. The 
latter prevents the union or copulation of the male 
and female ; and should the weather prove favour- 
able for the production of the larvae, and after- 
wards be wet, it will check in a measure its depre- 
dations. I am not aware that any are destroyed 
thereby, but no doubt they are much retarded by 
wet and cold, which appear to cause them to 
retreat deeper into the ground, and become more 
sluggish, and not so voracious. 
In the year 1818, at the latter end of summer, 
and most part of the autumn months, the season 
pi-oved very dry, at which season these Grubs pre- 
vailed very alarmingly. They did not appear to be 
confined to any particular part, but I believe 
eigned in all parts of the kingdom ; neither were 
they confined to any species or tribe of plants, in 
which circumstance they appeared to differ mate- 
rially from the generality of the insect race ; for a 
learned writer observes — “ Almost every plant has 
its Louse,” meaning, I suppose, that different in- 
sects makes choice of different plants ; but I must 
confess, were it requii ed of me to point out which 
of the vegetable tribe charms this general lover the 
most, or what it would not gormandize upon, I 
should be quite at a loss, for scarce any thino’ that 
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