COCK-CHAFER. 
257 
spread to such a degree that they infested houses, 
and became extremely offensive and troublesome. 
Their numerous young, hatched from the eggs 
which they had lodged under ground, near the sur- 
face of the earth, did still more harm in that close 
retirement than all the flying swarms of their pa- 
rents had done abroad ; for this destructive brood, 
lying under ground, ate up the roots of corn and 
grass, and thus consumed the support both of man 
and beast. This plague was happily checked several 
ways. High winds and wet mizzling weather de- 
stroyed many millions of them in a day ; and 
when this state of the air prevailed, they were so 
weakened that their feet refused to support them, 
and they dropped from the branches completely 
disabled. During this unfavourable weather the 
swine and poultry of the country would watch un- 
der the trees for their falling, and feed and fatten 
upon them ; and even the poorer sort of the country 
people, who at that time suffered from a scarcity 
of provision, had a way of dressing them, and lived 
upon the food. In a little time it was found that 
smoke was very offensive to them, and by burning 
heath, fern, & c. the gardens were secured ; or, if the 
insects had already entered, they were thus driven 
out again. Towards the latter end of summer they 
returned of themselves, and so totally disappeared, 
that in a few days you could not see one left. 
A year or two ago, continues Mr. Molineux, all 
along the south-west coast of Galway, such in- 
finite numbers of these creatures were found dead 
VOL. II. 
s 
