like rain, by jumping on the leaves of the turnips or cabbages.

There is an oestrus, known in these parts to every ploughboy;
which, because it is omitted by Linnaeus, is also passed over by
late writers, and that is the curvicauda of old Moufet, mentioned by
Derham in his Physico-theology, p. 250: an insect worthy of
remark for depositing its eggs as it flies in so dexterous a manner
on the single hairs of the legs and flanks of grass-horses. But then
Derham is mistaken when he advances that this oestrus is the
parent of that wonderful star-tailed maggot which he mentions
afterwards; for more modern entomologists have discovered that
singular production to be derived from the egg of the musca
chamaeleon: see Geoffrey, t. 17, f. 4.

A full history of noxious insects hurtful in the field, garden, and
house, suggesting all the known and likely means of destroying
them, would be allowed by the public to be a most useful and
important work. What knowledge there is of this sort lies scattered,
and wants to be collected; great improvements would soon follow
of course. A knowledge of the properties, oeconomy, propagation,
and in short of the life and conversation of these animals, is a
necessary step to lead us to some method of preventing their
depredations.

As far as I am a judge, nothing would recommend entomology
more than some neat plates that should well express the generic
distinctions of insects according to Linnaeus; for I am well assured
that many people would study insects, could they set out with a
more adequate notion of those distinctions that can be conveyed at
first by words alone.