half an inch high, as much broad, and Hoping ^ down.pn each fide
to the bottom of the upper mandible ; from. thence, the head,
neck, wings, and all the other parts, were of the fineft fnow white,
faving three fmall fpecks on the crown of the head, of like colour
to the .feathers of other woodcocks, in the fame place: In the
breaft and neck it• had nine feparate.-feathers;jinged,Ä^intly as,
fcarcely to be diftinguilhed frpm white, ~|jtit; o^ jhc jihptW^l W^-vy
mark : in each wing it had ope. principal feather^ and,, four fecond-
rate of the natural colour; in the right wing-fix fpecks on the
finalleft feathers, in the left wing too ; in the upper part or its tail
two natural feathers, in the under, one, but in both of veryfaint
colouring; the belly, and under parts of iJw wings^near.theyc^«/«,
tinged with a few faint natural feathers,.; the legs a little redder,
and more of affeffi-«>lqurthan in .t^ftommonHrci- .^ThiSidek
cription is of no other ufe than to fhew that this bird, wggj originally
coloured as other woodcocks, and, that fuch departures Trom nature
proceed from forne accidental defe<äs?;.ptrgvafat|pn,_ or pbftru.diQP
of the juices, occasioned by either, exceffive excrcife,- .wound, or
unwholefome diet; but by which it fsimpoffibfoi t<y;detPrrhine. ;
The eggs of fea as well land-fosw^,
fpotted, making a pretty colledHon; .and a Htfrf,attemfoi| trill fhew
that hot only the eggs of the different Jpmes'i tbu,t tjiatithe eggs of
individuals of the fame fpecies ,2s& really different in, fhape5. ffee, >an4
colour, infomuch, that the eggs o f pahi^^iA^is l^ ^ d i f t h y -
guifhed from each other, and; known (withpu^F^^ft^^e^jl^l^ls
from what hen they did proceed. .Eggs
feds and excefles to which they atevdi^?^\(^jh as a yolk
white, an egg with two whites, ,preternamral.rmembraixe?_:andex-
crefcencies.adhering to the egg, and the likq anomalies) to, a variety
o f accidents tedious to number, and difficult to qfeertain.
C H A P. XXII.
O f Land and Water-Life.ft*, in Cornwall., .
s e c t . i . r | t O trace infeds through their refpedtive differences, their
| traiifparent ftrudture, rich colourings, peculiar inftindts and
transformations, would much exceed the limits of the prefent de-
fign. Mr. Ray thinks that-there are more forts of infe&s than of
birds, and acknowledges the multitude1 of the fpecks of infeds not
to be fewer, perchance more than twenty thoufand11.
h Page 24 of the Creation.
In
O F C O R N W A L L .
In Cornwall* lively; we hayp morp of thofe infeds which require Their »&
moderate warmth, fooner[ and longer in the year, than in other parts
of England wfiefe their c o lc fe id heats are more intenfe. • I ffiall
ii t : ‘1HweJl,md*|^,6M p a r t ie s ,. , but/m .general obferve, that as
little jgjp th.efer creatures am,. manf undifcoverable to the naked eye
fqme;feaijce to $p fe6n by the beft conftruded glaffes, they have'
their uft, 4nd.theitLdeqeffary Mtion in the animal fcale; the fmall-
eft am food td fffg e f, the larger to others of a greater fize, and
theft ;tq, tfte gteateft; fthefe, again* to birds and reptiles afford nou-
rfffimentj.a^dfffonfo o f therxi..provide food, and ptiyfickfof inan ;
My the,very fm^eft'-Snfed? fu©ked in-imperceptibly with the air
we breathe, b ^ h e jr -bettef cpneo&ed animal juices,,may ferve to
qualify ,and corred the acrimony o f; a irlan d thereby contribute to
the. fpirit* and*rectifying, of the blood; - acH’to^this, that the finalleft
infed;a^ juftly raifts.our admiration, andh as. diredly leadk u s f o a
Ifilmjgkiare the fabrick 6f*
the univerft. By >their jnconqeivablq.humbers, thefe fmall creatures
arethe great, inftruments of divinejuftice, arid'are either the yehicles
of peffiiehee, o r1,by their voracipufnefs bring fqarcity, famine, and
deftradfoiii, .upon a ‘guilty land.
Ufefol aSJthefe .diminutive creatures-are, they muft have their, a l-Food-
lotted food.;, this food is ufoaliy.the leaf of flower, herb, or plant j
hither in fwafoasi’they tend, fix, and cat, and nefdeThtir e 0 ;
and when their multitudes are'increaied by wind or ‘ weathercon-
fume. the. bud, the, blpflbm, or fruit they light Upon.. Blights
therefore in the fiUr&ry, fruit,* and ffower-garden, mdy with great
juffice. be, oftentimes aferibed to fwarms of voracious <&poifoHbus
inftds, but I apprehend not always ; the air itfelf being oftentimes
charged with corfofive fteams’and noJrious humours, is of a very
cauffick nature, and frequently fcorches and ffirivels die fap-veffels,
and brings on decay*.' However, there are few plants which do not
at one time or other fuffer in forne degtee from infeds; nay, exoticks
though they come from, another climate, and one would
think ffiould have been-the appropriated food o f exotick- infeds, do
not efcape thofe of. this climate. Auguft, ao, 1750, finding
the leaves of an orange-tree fpotted as if mildewed, on viewing it
more* attentively I perceived on eaeh fpot an orbicular fubftance thin
as the leaf, of one tenth of an inch in diameter; and upon examining
it in % microfeope, it appeared to. be cruftaceous, in ffiape, colour,
and tranfparent fpots on the back, refembling a tortoife; the
belly-part fbon confirmed it to be an animal; the edges of the fhell
were thick fet with briftles, by which I imagine thefe animals fix them-
felves to the leaf on which they are difpofed to feed as well as fence
themfelves from their enemies: befides thefe marginal appendices, they
S f f have