258 
COCK-CHAFER. 
on the shore, and in such vast heaps, that upon a 
moderate calculation there could not be less than 
forty or fifty horse-loads. This was a new colony, 
or a supernumerary swarm, from the same place 
whence the first stock came in 1688 , driven by the 
wind from their native land, which this gentleman 
concludes to be Normandy, or Bntany in France, 
on account of the numbers with which that country 
is infested. This swarm, he supposes, met with a 
contrary wind, and, being tired with their voyage, 
were all driven into the sea, which, by the motion 
of its waves, cast their floating bodies in heaps on 
the shore. It was observed that they seldom kept 
above a year together in a place, and their usual 
stages or marches were computed at about six miles 
O 
in twelve months. 
In the month of February, in the year 15/4, 
Mouffet tells us, that such an amazing number of 
these insects were driven into the river Severn, that 
the mills were completely clogged up, and pre- 
vented from working. The people were assisted in 
their attempts to extirpate these creatures by the 
birds, which hovered about in numbers, and feasted 
sumptuously upon them. 
The county of Norfolk seems to have suffeied 
more from the ravages of these insects than any 
other part of England. In the year 1751, a farmer, 
was so injured by them, that he completely lost his 
crop, and was induced to receive a sum of money 
for the support of himself and family till the return- 
in ^ season. This man affirmed, that with the as- 
