placed a mole upon one of the beds in his garden; it had vanished by the third day; and on digging where it had been laid, he found it buried to the depth of three inches, and under it four beetles, which seemed to have been the agents in this singular inhumation. Not perceiving anything particular in the mole, he buried it again; and on examining it at the end of six days, he found it swarming with maggots, apparently the issue of the beetles, which M. Gleditsh now naturally concluded had buried the carcass for the food of their future young. To determine these points more clearly, he put four of these insects into a glass vessel, half filled with earth, and properly secured, and upon the surface of the earth two frogs; in less than twelve hours one of the frogs was interred by two of the beetles the other two ran about the whole day, as if busied in measuring the dimensions of the remaining corpse, which on the third day was also found buried He then introduced a dead linnet: a pair of the beetles were soon engaged upon the bird; they began their operations by pushing away the earth from under the body, so as to form a cavity for its reception; and it was curious to see the efforts which the beetles made, by dragging at the feathers of the bird from below, to pull it into its grave. The male having driven the female away, continued the work alone for five hours. He lifted up the bird, changed its place, turned it, and arranged it in the grave, and from time to time came out of the hole, mounted upon it, and trod it under foot, and then retired below, and pulled it down. At length, apparently wearied with this uninterrupted labour, he came forth and leaned his head upon the earth beside the bird, without the smallest motion, as if to rest himself, for a full hour, when he again crept under the earth. The next day, in the morning, the bird was an inch and a half under ground, and the trench remained open the whole day, the corpse seeming as if laid out upon a bier surrounded with a rampart of mould. In the evening it had sunk half an inch lower, and in another day, the work was completed and the bird covered. From a number of experiments conducted in this way, he found that in fifty days four beetles had interrred,

in the small quantity of earth allowed them, twelve carcasses; viz. four frogs, three small birds, two fishes, one mole, and two grasshoppers, besides the entrails of a fish, and two morsels of the lungs of an ox. It is plain that all this labour is incurred for the sake of their young. One mole would have sufficed a long time for the repast of the beetles themselves, and they could have more conveniently fed upon it above ground than below. But if they had left, thus exposed, the carcass in which their eggs were deposited, both would have been exposed to the imminent risk of being destroyed at a mouthful by the first fox or kite that chanced to espy them." (Vol. I., pp. 417, 418.)

But if some of the insect tribes may thus be ranked among our benefactors, there are others to be held amongst the worst foes, to which mankind are exposed. Against their incursions no foresight can guard-no valour defend us,

The rushing of their wings is as the sound
Of a broad river, headlong in its course,
Plunged from a mountain's summit.

One of the most formidable of these, the locust, is thus described :

"It is armed with two pair of very strong jaws, the upper terminating in short, and the lower in long teeth, by which it can both lacerate and grind its food; its stomach is of extraordinary capacity and powers; its hind legs enable it to leap to a considerable distance, and its ample vans are calculated to catch the wind as sails-Although a single individual can effect but little evil, yet when the entire surface of a country is covered with them, and every one makes bare the spot on which it stands, the mischief produced may be as infinite as their numbers.

The first record of the ravages of the locusts which we find in history is the account in the Book of Exodus, of the visitation to the land of Egypt. Africa appears to have been the quarter of the globe most severely subjected to incursions from the locust tribes-Blown from that quarter of the globe, the locusts have occasionally visited both Italy and Spain. A famine took place in the Venetian territory in 1487, occasioned by the ravages of these insects, in which 30,000 persons are reported to have

perished. Mouffett mentions many other instances of the same kind which have taken place in Europe at different periods. They entered Russia in immense divisions in three different places (A. D. 1600,) darkening the air with their numbers, and passed over from thence into Poland and Lithu

ania.

"In many parts they lay dead to the depth of four feet. Sometimes they covered the surface of the earth like a dark cloud, loaded the trees, and the destruction which they produced exceeded all calculation. They fall sometimes upon corn, and in three hours will consume an entire field, as happened once in the south of France, When they had finished the corn, they extended their devastations to vines, pulse, willows, and, in short, to every thing wearing the shape of vegetation, not excepting even hemp, which was not protected by its bitterness."

Nor are they less formidable dead than alive. 66 According to Orosius (A. M. 3800,) the north of Africa was so infested with them, that every vestige of vegetation vanished from the face of the earth. After this," he adds, "they flew off to sea and were drowned; but their carcasses being cast on shore emitted a stench, equal to what might have been produced by the dead bodies of one hundred thousand men."

We are told by St. Augustine, that a pestilence, arising from the same cause, destroyed no less than 800,000 people in the kingdom of Numidia, and the kingdoms along the sea-coast. (Vol. II., 205-6-7.) Every one knows that there is such a thing as a blight of corn-a blight of fruit-trees, &c., but how few know that a minute insect is the cause of this calamity. A slight notice of the insect that attacks our apple-trees will, doubtless, be interesting. If one examines the back of an apple-tree in winter, he will find occasionally in some of its cracks or crevices, a pretty little insect (anthonomus pomorum,) which, on being touched, lets itself drop, as if dead, to the ground, which in colour it much resembles-by this artifice it often escapes. These insects remain in the crevices until towards the commencement of Spring, when they come forth on the first bright sunny day, and disclosing their long gausy wings, which had lain neatly folded up beneath the elytra, or wing

cases, they take their joyous disport' in the fields of ether, and rove careless and free through the orchard and the meadow. This is to them the season of life and love!" The buds of the apple-tree are already far advanced before the female is prepared to lay her eggs: she is furnished with a beak, supplied at the end with very minute teeth; with these she works a small hole into the calyx of the future blossom, and having satisfied herself by the introduction of one of her antennæ that the hole is suitable for her purpose, she deposits in it by means of her ovipositor one single egg. This ovipositor is a tube composed of joints that close one within another like those of a telescope, and which enables this little insect to deposit its egg at the bottom of the hole it has worked. The injury is so slight, that the hole is soon closed up, and the blossom seems to grow like the rest; in the mean time however the egg is hatched, and little white maggot comes out, which soon sets to work and gnaws the young stamina and pistils, until being arrived at its full growth, in this its first stage, it changes into a chrysalis. It now lies quite still, but the mischief has been done: the blossom, which had at first appeared as blooming as the rest, now shows signs of the canker at the heart; it continues closed after the others have opened out in vernal beauty and soon commences to pine and wither, changing from its blushing tint to a dusky brown, Another change comes o'er' the insect within; it bursts from its prison-bonds, and soon making its way through the few withered petals by which it is surrounded, it soars away in the light Summer breeze, 'living a rover' until the chill Autumnal blast drives it again to its shelter beneath the bark, from which it issues at the return of Spring to propagate a progeny, destined to undergo the same vicissitudes.

Our limits do not permit us to extend our extracts much farther; but we refer to the Aphides for some novel aud interesting facts in physiology. Of their fecundity some idea may be formed from Reaumur's calculation, that in five generations one aphis may be the parent of 5,904,900,000 descendants. Most interesting accounts are given of the cynyps, or gall insect, the coccus cacti, or cochineal in

sect, the bombyx, or silk-worm, and others.

Of bees and ants it is sufficient to say, we are presented with a condensed view of the observations of the celebrated Hubers, father and son. With one extract from the latter we shall conclude, again thanking the gentlemen concerned in this work for the rich treat they have afforded the English readers of Natural History :"On the 17th June, 1804, walking in the environs of Geneva, between four and five o'clock, in the afternoon, I saw at my feet a legion of tolerably large ants, red, or reddish, which were travelling the road; they were marching in a body with rapidity; their troop occupied a space of from eight to ten feet in length, and about three or four inches in breadth; in a few minutes they had entirely evacuated the road; they penetrated through a very thick hedge, and repaired into a meadow, whither I followed them; they took a serpertine direction over the turf without losing themselves, and their column always remained unbroken in spite of the obstacles which it had to surmount,

"Soon they arrived near a nest of ashcoloured ants, the dome of which was raised in the grass, at about twenty paces the hedge. Some ants of this species were at the door of their habitation; as soon as they discovered the army, which was approaching, they darted forth on those which were at the head of the cohort. The alarm was spread at the same instant in the interior of the nest, and their companies sallied forth in crowds from all their subterraneous caverns. The rufescent ants, the bulk of whose army was but two paces distant, hastened to arrive at the foot of the ant-hill; the entire troop precipitated itself thither at once, and

overturned the ash-coloured ants, which, after a very short, but very sharp combat, retired to the bottom of their habitation. The rufescent ants clambered up the sides of the hillock, collected on its summit, and introduced themselves in great numbers into its avenues. Other groups of these insects were working with their teeth, to procure themselves an opening in the lateral part of the ant-hill. This enterprize succeeded, and the rest of the army penetrated through the breach into the besieged citadel, they made no long stop there; three or four minutes afterwards, the rufescent ants issued through the same passages, each holding in his mouth a larva or a nymph, belonging to the invaded anthill. They resumed precisely the route by which they had come, and proceeded, without order, one after the other. Their troop was easily distinguished on the turf, by the peculiar aspect of this multitude of cocoons and white nymphs carried by so many red ants. These last a second time traversed the hedge and road in the same place where they had passed at first, aud finally directed their course into grass fields in full maturity, whither I regretted I had not the power of following them."-(Vol. II. p. 492.)

We regret we have not the power of following Mr. Huber any further in his interesting discoveries; suffice it to say, some of them were so very singular as to be considered the mere reveries of an excited imagination, until they were fully verified by M. Jurine. M. Latreille, M. M. Bose, Monge, and Olivier, as well as by our own distinguished countryman, Mr. Kirby, who, in company with M. Latreille, was a witness of one of the military campaigns of these singular animals.

"The sept or clan of Græmes, which at one time was so numerous and powerful on the west border, are said to have claimed their descent from Mahise with the bright sword, a younger brother of one of the Scottish Earls of Stratherne, of the name of Graham. This seems uncertain, but they were hardy men, of great power on the borders, and originally of Scottish extraction, though latterly they usually embraced the English interest. Indeed, as they were situated on the debateable land, which was claimed by both kingdoms, each country refused to acknowledge them as the subjects of the rival nation, or to demand from the other, satisfacfaction for the wrongs they inflicted, and as neither country would permit the other to punish them as subjects, the consequence was, that their depredations went frequently altogether unrepressed. They lived like other borderers, almost entirely upon spoil, and it is said that when the last piece of beef was put into the pot, the mother used to say to the son, "Rise Rowley, houghs in the pot." They had also like other borderers repeated quarrels with their neighbours, and most probably with the Maxwells and the Johnstons, and as when blood was spilt, it was a point of conscience in that lawless country never to let it pass unrevenged

"the heathenish aud savage custom of deadly feud," as it is termed in our law books, must often have given rise to lasting and cruel wars.

I do not find any particular mention of their quarrel with the Johnstons (the family tradition) but I observe that in 1550, the Johnstons and Maxwells, and other west borderers, to the number of two thousand men, entered the debateable land, and burned the house of one Armstrong, on which occasion the Grames and other borderers there skirmished with them, and slew some men, Lord Dacre, then warden of the west marches of England, having his forces drawn up to support them, but not crossing the border, to avoid a violation of the peace ;* and the resentment of the Scotch was so great, that many of the debateable land threatened to become liege men of Scotland, to avoid the effects of the vengeance of the Scots, unless the English warden would agree to protect them effectually.

The end of the dispute was, that the debateable land was divided between the kingdoms, by Commissioners, assigning the upper part of it to Scotland, and the lower, where most of the Grahams dwelt, to England.

In the above-mentioned introduction there is a list of names containing many of the clan of Grame who are accused

of incursions, murders, burnings, &c. committed about 1552. I do not observe any designed as being of Whitehouse. In 1593 it is proposed as a question for consideration," Because the Grame's have no commander under the Lord Warden, what course shall be taken to keep good order among them and their branches ?" from which it appears that the name had no acknowledged head or chief, who according to border-custom, was answerable for the misdeeds of those of his name, whom he was always supposed to possess the means of restraining or punishing.

The resolution taken by the Warden Lord Scroop, with the advice of the Border Council was, that until he should name an officer over them, the principal men of the name should be held responsible for themselves and those under them. Soon after it would seem that William Bill, of Rosetrees, and Rob, of the Fald, had been compelled to enter pledges for the good behaviour of their retainers, and that the Warden intended to proceed in the same manner with the several branches of the Grames, Armstrongs, Fosters, &c. who are described as having very insolent members belonging to them.

In 1600 many of the Grames petition the Lord Warden, setting forth their willingness to be amenable to good order in various particulars, and complaining, that the gentlemen of the country were joined together in a league against them, and sate upon the bench and jail delivery as their judges, although they were known to thirst for their blood, and would cut their throats with their own hands if they dared. There is a reply of the gentlemen, who assert that the Grames and their clans were the chiefest actors of the spoil and decay of the country, and maintain their own league to have for its object only the suppress of their depredations. These proceedings are followed by a note of the names of the clans of all the Grames, with those of the persons for whom each leader held himself responsible to Lord Scroop the Warden. The leaders are-Walter Græme, the good man of Netherby; John Græme, of Aughouse Well; Fergus Græme, of Sowport; David Græme, of the Millens; John Græme, of the Peartree; The Goodman of the Moat. Young Hutchin's clan or gang, answered

for by Geordie Hutchins' brother, William Græme, another brother of Young Hutchins, William Græme, son of Robbie, Socks Johnnie, Robert Græme son to Hutchins, Davie and his brother Andrew; Hutchins Arthur, William Græme of the Fold, William Græme of the Rosetrees, (these two appear to have had great followers); Daves of Bankhead, Jock of the Lake, Dicks Davis and William Græme Goodman of Meclop.

The number of names for whom these leaders gave assurance, amounts to four hundred and thirty-nine, being probably the strength of the clan with their dependents in 1602.

James II., on his accession to the Crown of England banished the Grames to the North of Ireland, upon their own petition, as his proclamation alleges, confessing themselves to be no meet persons to live in these countries. This measure was a political rather than an arbitrary one, but I suspect, much of James's animosity against the Græmes arose from their constant adherence to English intcrest.

There was a tax imposed on Cumberland for the expense of transporting them, the total of which amounts to £408. 10s. 9d. sterling. They appear to have been transported at three several times, the money being divided among them at the rate of about one or two pounds each. Nicholson has published the names of those who were removed at the second and third transportations, but I do not find the designation of Whitehouse. This however is not conclusive, for many of the exiles are described by patronymics, or by nick-names according to the border fashion.

Most of the particulars I have mentioned are extracted from the introduction to the Border History, and are taken by the authors from a folio manuscript, written by Richard Bell, Warden Clerk of the Marches, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

If this could be consulted, it might throw light on the subject of your inquiries, but I could never learn where it is now deposited, or if it be in exist

ence.

The deportation of the Grames seems to have been very perfectly executed, for there is not now a man of consequence of that name in Cumberland, save Sir James Graham, of Netherby, whose family arose "tem