fuch perfons infamous, and excluded them from fociety. Among the Germans, cowards were fometimes fuffocated in mud; after which they were covered over with hurdles, to fhow, fays Tacitus, that though the punishment of crimes hould be public, there are certain degrees of cowardice and infamy which ought to be buried in oblivion. Frotho king of Denmark enacted, by law, that, whoever folicited an eminent poft, ought upon all occafions to attack one enemy, to face two, to retire only one ftep back from three, and never to make an actual retreat till affaulted by four. The rules of justice were adapted and warped to these prejudices. War was looked upon as a real act of juftice, and force was thought to be an inconteftable title over the weak, and a vifible mark that God had intended them to be fubject to the ftrong. They had no doubt but that the intentions of the Deity had been to eftablish the fame dependence among men that takes place among inferior creatures; and, fetting out from this principle of the natural inequality among men, they from thence inferred that the weak had no right to what they could not defend. This maxim was adopted with such rigour, that the name of divine judgment was given not only to the judicatory combat, but to conflicts and battles of all forts; victory being, in their opinion, the only certain mark by which providence enables us to diftinguish thofe whom it has appointed to command others. Laftly, their religion, by annexing eternal happiness to the military virtues, gave the utmoft poffible degree of vigour to that propenfity which thefe people had for war, and to their contempt of death, of which many in ftances are recorded. Harold, furnamed Blaatand, or Blue-tooth, a king of Denmark, who lived in the beginning of the 9th century, had founded on the coafts of Pomerania a city named Julin or Jomburg. To this place he fent a colony of young Danes, beftowing the government on a celebrated warrior called Palnatoko. In this colony it was forbidden to mention the word fear, even in the most imminent dangers. No citizen of Jomsburg was to yield to any number of enemies, however great. The fight of inevitable death was not to be an excufe for fhowing the smallest apprehenfion. And this legiflator really appears, from the anecdotes of bravery recorded of his followers, to have eradicated from the minds of moft of the youths bred up under him, all traces of that fentiment fo natural and univerfal, which makes men think on their deftruction with horror. Neither was this intrepidity peculiar to the inhabitants of Jomsburg; it was the general character of all the Scandinavians. To die with his arms in his hand was the ardent with of every free man; and the high idea which they had of this kind of death led them to dread fuch as proceeded from old age and difeafe. The hiftory of ancient Scandinavia is full of inftances of this way of thinking. The warriors who found themfelves lingering in difeafe, often availed themfelves of their few remaining moments to flake off life, by a way that they fuppofed to be more glorious. Some of them would be carried into a field of battle, that they might die in the engagement; others flew themelys. Many procured this melancholy fervice to be performed by their friends, who confidered it as a most facred duty. "There is, on a mountain of Iceland (fays the author of an old Iceland romance), a rock fo high, that no animal can fall from the top and live. Here men betake themfelves when they are afflicted and unhappy. From this place all our ancestors, even without waiting for fickness, have departed into Eden. It is useless, therefore, to give ourselves up to groans and complaints, or to put our relations to needlefs expenfes, fince we can eafily follow the example of our fathers, who have all gone by the way of this rock." When all these methods failed, and at laft when Chriftianity had banished such barbarous practices, the difconfolate heroes confoled themfelves by putting on complete armour as soon as they found their end approaching. SCANDINAVIANS, the ancient inhabitants of SCANDINAVIA. SCANDIX, SHEPHERD'S NEEDLE, or Venus Comb, in botany; a genus of the digynia order, belonging to the pentandria clafs of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 45th order, Umbellata. The corolla is radiating; the fruit fubullated, the petals emarginated, the florets of the difc frequently male. The most remarkable fpecies is the SCANDIX ODORATA, with angular furrowed feeds. It is a native of Germany, and has a very thick perennial root, compofed of many fibres of a fweet aromatic tafte, like anifeed, from which come forth many large leaves that branch out fomewhat like thofe of fern, from whence it is named SWEET FERN. The ftalks grow four or five feet high, are fiftulous and hairy; the flowers are difpofed in an umbel at the top of the ftalk, are of a white colour, and have a fweet aromatic fcent. This fpecies is easily propagated by feeds, which, if permitted to scatter, will supply an abundance of young plants, that may be put into any part of the garden, and require no care. SCANELLO, a town of Italy, in the department of the Mincio, diftrict and late territory of Verona, feated near the Mincio, and the Chiefe. Near this town, on the 31ft July, 1796, the French republicans, under Bonaparte, defeated the Auftrians under Wurmfer, and compelled them to retreat over the Mincio, after lofing in the space of five days 15,000 prifoners, 6000 killed, and field pieces. ༡༠ SCANGERO, an ifland in the Grecian Archipelago. Lon. 42. o. E. Ferro. Lat. 39. 20. N. SCANIA. See SCHONEN. SCANNING. part. n.s. in poetry, the measuring of verse by feet, in order to fee whether or not the quantities be duly obferved. The term is chiefly ufed in Greek and Latin verfes. Thus an hexameter verfe is fcauned by refolving it into fix feet; a pentameter, by refolving it into five feet, &c. * SCANSIÓN. n. s. [scanfio, Lat.] The act or practice of fcanning a verfe. (1.) * SCANT. adj. [from the verb.] 1. Not plentiful; fcarce; lefs than what is proper or competent.-White is a penurious colour, and where moisture is scant. Bacon. A fingle violet transplant; Donne. Such Such a scant allowance of star-light Would over-task the best land-pilot's art. Milton. 2. Wary; not liberal; parfimonious. Be fomewhat scanter of your maiden prefence. Shak. (2.) * SCANT. adv. [from the adjective.] Scarce. ly; hardly. Obfolete. The people, befide their travail, charge, and long attendance, received of the bankers scant twenty fhillings for thirty. Camden. -We scant read in any writer, that there have been feen any people upon the fouth coaft. Abbot's World. A wild pamphlet would scant allow him to be a gentleman. Wotton. cause it contained in the ecclefiaftical divifion two large provinces, which had their several legati nati; whereas France had scantly one. Camden's Remains. 2. Narrowly; penuriously; without amplitude. O'er yonder hill does scant the dawn appear. Gay. *To SCANT. v. a. [gescanan, Saxon, to break; fkaaner, Danish, to fpare.] To limit; to ftraiten. I will your ferious and great bufinefs seant, For the is with me. Shakespeare's Othello. -They need rather to be scanted in their nourish. ment than replenished. Baron.-He bade us not to scant ourselves. Bacon. Looking on things through the wrong end of the perspective, which scants their dimensions, we neglect and contemn them. Glanville. Starve them, For fear the rankness of the fwelling womb Should seant the passage. Dryden. -I am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your actions. Dryden. SCANTILY.adv. [from scanty.] 1. Narrowly; not plentifully. 2. Sparingly; niggardly. He fpoke Scantily of me. Shak. Ant. and Cleop. * SCANTINESS. n. 3. [from scanty. 1. Narrownefs; want of space; want of compass.-The scantiness of our heroic verfe is not capable of receiving more than one. Dryden. 2. Want of amplitude or greatness; want of liberality. Alexander was much troubled at the scantiness of nature itself, that there were no more worlds for him to difturb. Swift. * SCANTLET. n. s. [corrupted as it feems from scantling.] A fmall pattern; a fmall quantity; a little piece. As the world grew fuller, their lives were fucceffively reduced to a fhorter scantlet, 'till they came to that time of life which they now have. Hale. (1.) SCANTLING. n. s. (eschantillon, French; ciantellino, Italian.] 1. A quantity cut for a particular purpose.-Tis hard to find out a woman that's of a juft scantling for her age, humour, and fortune, to make a wife of. L'Efrange. 2. A certain proportion. The fuccefs, Although particular, shall give a scantling Shak. 3. A fmall quantity.-Reduce defires to narrow Scantlings. Taylor.—A scantling of wit lay gafping for life. Dryden.-In this narrow scantling of capacity we enjoy but one pleasure at once. Locke. (2.) SCANTLING is a measure, fize, or standard, by which the dimensions, &c. of things are to be determined. The term is particularly applied to the dimenfions of any piece of timber, with regard to its breadth and thickness. * SCANTLY. adv. [from scant.] 1. Scarcely; sardly. Obfolete.-England was preferred, be The very hope is a full happiness, Yet scantly measures what I fhall poffefs. Dryden. * SCANTINESS. n. s. [from scant.] Narrownefs; meanness; fmallness. He thought scantness of cftate too great an evil. Hayward. Did we but compare the miferable scantness of our capacities with the vaft profundity of things, truth and modefty would teach us wary language. Glanville. SCANTO. n. s. or SPAVENTO, a fudden impreffion of horror upon the mind and body. It is extremely dreaded by the inhabitants of Sicily; and the wild ideas of the vulgar part of the inhabitants refpecting it are almost incredible, and their dread of a fudden fhock is no lefs furprising. There is fcarce a symptom, diforder, or accident, they do not think may befal the human frame in confequence of the fcanto. They are perfuaded that a man who has been frightened only by a dog, a viper, fcorpion, or any other creature, which he has an antipathy to, will foon be feized with the fame pains he would really feel had he been torn with their teeth, or wounded with their venomous fting; and that nothing can remove these nervous imaginary pangs but a ftrong dofe of dilena, a fpecies of cantharides found in Sicily. *SCANTY. adj. [The fame with stant] 1. Narrow; fmall; wanting amplitude; fhort of quantity fufficient.-As long as one can increafe the number, he will think the idea he hath a little too scanty for politive infinity. Locke. His dominions were very narrow and scanty. Locke. Now scantier limits the proud arch confine. Pope. 2. Small; poor; not copious; not ample.-Their language, being scanty, had no words in it to stand for 1000. Locke. They had narrow and scanty.conceptions of providence. Woodward. 3. Sparing; niggardly; parfimonious.In illustrating a point of difficulty, be not too scanty of words. Watts. Swift. They with fuch scanty wages pay The bondage and the flavery of years. *SCAPE. n. s. [from the verb.] 1. Efcape; flight from hurt or danger; the act of declining or running from danger; accident of fafety. I spoke of moft difaft'rous chances, Of hairbreadth scapes. 2. Means of efcape; evafion. Shak. Donne. Vain lunatic, against these scapes I could Difpute, and conquer, if I would. 3. Negligent freak; deviation from regularity.No scape of nature, no diftempered day. Shak. 4. Loose act of vice or lewdnefs.-A bearne! a very pretty bearne! fure fome scape; though I am not bookish, yet I can read waiting gentlewoman in the scape. Shak Too long thou laid'ft thy scapes on names adored. Milton. (1.)* To SCAPE. v. a. [contracted from escape.} To efcape; to miss; to avoid; to fhun; not to incur; to fly.-What, have I scaped love-letters' in the holyday time of my beauty, and am I how a fubject for them? Shak.-I doubt not but to die a fair death, if I scape hanging. Shak.- What What can 'scape the eye Of God all-feeing? Milton. (2.) * To SCAPE. v. n. To get away from hurt or danger. Could they not fall unpity'd on the plain, But flain revive, and, taken, fcape again? Dryd. SCAPE-GOAT, in Jewish antiquity, the goat which was fet at liberty on the day of folemn expiation. For the ceremonies on this occafion, fee Levit. xvi. 5, 6, &c. Some fay, that a piece of fcarlet cloth, in form of a tongue, was tied on the forehead of the fcape-goat. Hoff. Lex. Univ. in voc. Lingua. Many have been the difputes among the interpreters concerning the meaning of the word fcape-goat; or rather of AZAZEL, for which fcape-goat is put in our verfion of the Bible. See AZAZEL; and Spencer, De leg. Hebr. ritual. Differt. viii. Among other things, he obferves, that the ancient Jews ufed to fubftitute the name SaMAEL for Azazel; and many of them have ventured to affirm, that at the feast of expiation they were obliged to offer a gift to Samael to obtain his favour. Thus alfo the goat, fent into the wildernefs to Azazel, was understood to be a gift or oblation. Some Chriftians have been of the fame opinion. But Spencer thinks that the genuine reafons of the ceremony were, 1. That the goat, loaded with the fins of the people, and fent to Azazel, might be a fymbolical reprefentation of the miferable condition of finners. 2. God fent the goat thus loaded to the evil dæmons, to fhow that they were impure, thereby to deter the people from any conversation or familiarity with them. 3. That the goat fent to Azazel, fufficiently expiating all evils, the Ifraelites might the more willingly abftain from the expiatory facrifices of the Gentiles. SCAPEMENT, n.f. in clock-work, a general term for the manner of communicating the impulfe of the wheels to the pendulum. The ordinary fcapements confift of the fwing-wheel and pallets only; but modern improvements have added other levers or detents, chiefly for the purposes of diminishing friction, or for detaching the pendulum from the preffure of the wheels during part of the time of its vibration. See WATCHMAKING. SCAPOLITE. See MINERALOGY, Part II. Chap. IV. Clafs I. Ord. 1. Gen. XII. Sp. 5. SCAPTESYLE, in ancient geography, a town of Thrace, near Abdera, abounding in gld and filver mines, and belonging to THUCYDIDES, the hiftorian. Plut. in Cim. Lucr. vi, 810. SCAPTIA, an ancient town of Latium. (1.) * SCAPULA. n. f. [Latin.] The fhoulder blade. The heat went off from the parts, and spread up higher to the breaft and fcapula. Wifem. (2.) SCAPULA, in anatomy. See ANATOMY, Index. (3.) SCAPULA, John, the reputed author of a Greek lexicon, ftudied at Lausanne. His name is recorded in the annals of literature, neither on account of his talents nor learning, nor virtuous industry, but for a grofs act of fraud which he committed against an eminent literary character of the 16th century. Being employ d by Henry Stephens as a corrector to his prefs, while he was publishing his Thefaurus lingua Grace, Scapula extracted those words and explications which he reckoned moft ufeful, comprised them in one volume, and published them as an original work, with his own name. The compilation and printing of the Thefaurus had coft Stephens immense labour and expence; but it was fo much admired by thofe learned men to whom he had shown it, and seemed to be of such effsential importance to the acquifition of the Greek language, that he reasonably hoped his labour would be crowned with honour, and the money he had expended would be repaid by a rapid and extenfive fale. But before his work came abroad, Scapula's abridgment appeared; which, from its fize and price, was quickly purchased, while the Thefaurus itself lay neglected in the author's hands. The confequence was, a bankruptcy on the part of Stephens, while he who had occafioned it was enjoying the fruits of his treachery. Scapula's Lexicon was first printed in 1570, in 4to. It was afterwards enlarged, and published in folio. It has gone through feveral editions, while the valuable work of Stephens has never been reprinted. Its fuccefs is, however, not owing to its fuperior merit, but to its price and more commodious fize. Stephens charges the author with omitting many important articles. He accufes him of misunderftanding and perverting his meaning; and of tra cing out abfurd and trifling etymologies, which he himself had been careful to avoid. He compofed the following epigram on Scapula: Quidam EXITEμvav me capulo tenus abdidit ensem Eger eram a Scapulis, fanus et huc redeo. Doctor Busby, fo much celebrated for his knowledge of the Greek language, and his fuccefs in teaching it, would never permit his fcholars at Weftminster school to make ufe of Scapula, (1.)* SCAPULAR. SCAPULARY. adj. [fcapulaire, Fr. from fcapula, Lat.] Relating or belonging to the fhoulders.-The humours difperfed through the branches of the axillary artery to the fcapulary branches. Wifeman.-The vifcera were counterpoifed with the weight of the scapular part. Derham. (2.) SCAPULAR, in anatomy, the name of two pair of arteries, and as many veins. (3.) SCAPULAR, or n.. a part of the habit of SCAPULARY, feveral religious orders in the church of Rome, worn over the gown as a badge of peculiar veneration for the Bieffed Virgin. It confifts of two narrow flips or breadths of cloth covering the back and the breaft, and hanging down to the feet. See CowL, § 2. The devotees of the scapulary celebrate its festival on the 10th of July. (1.) * SCAR. n. f. [from eschar, escare, French; ioxaga.] A mark made by a hurt or fire; a cicatrix.— Scratch thee but with a pin, and there re on all its body. Burnet. In a hemorrhage from the lungs, ftypticks are often infignificant; and if they could operate upon the affected part, fo far as to make a fear, when that fell off, the difeafe would return. Arbuthnot. (2.) SCAR, in geography, a town of Ireland, in the county of Wexford, and province of Leinster. (3.) SCAR, GREEN, 2 clufters of rocks, near (4.) SCAR, NORTH, the E. coaft of Northumberland, the former 2 miles N. of Blythe; the latter 9 miles NNW. of Coquet island. (5.) SCAR NOSE, a cape of Scotland, on the N. coaft of Banffshire. Lon. o. 27. E. of Edinburgh. Lat. 57:40. N. (6.) SCAR, SOUTH, a rock half a mile from N. Scar. To SCAR. v. a. [from the noun.] To mark as with a fore or wound. Yet I'll not fhed her blood, Nor scar that whiter skin of her's than fnow, And smooth as monumental alabaster. 'Shak. (1.) SCARA, or SCAREN, a town of Sweden, in W. Gothland, S. of lake Wenner, 66 miles NE.. of Gottenburg. Lon. 12. 14. E. Lat. 58. 16. N. (2.) SCARA, or CIARA, a town of Brafil, in the province of Maranhao. * SCARAB. n. s. [scarabée, Fr. fcarabæus, Lat.] A beetle; an infect with fheathed wings. A small scarab is bred in the very tips of elm-leaves: thefe leaves may be observed to be dry and dead, as alfo turgid, in which lieth a dirty, whitish, rough maggot, from which proceeds a beetle. Derham. SCARABÆUS, the BEETLE, in zoology, a -genus of infects of the coleoptera order. The antennæ are of a clavated figure, and fiffile longitudinally the legs are frequently dentated. There are 87 fpecies; all, however, concurring in one common formation of having cafes to their wings, which are the more neceffary, as they often live under the surface of the earth, in holes, which they dig out by their own industry. The cafes prevent the various injuries their real wings might fuftain by rubbing or crushing against the fides of their abode. Thefe, though they do not affift flight, yet keep the internal wings clean and even, and produce a loud buzzing noise when the animal rifes in the air. All animals of the beetle, kind have their bones placed externally, and their mufcles within, like shell fish. These muscles are much like thofe of quadrupeds; and are formed with fuch furprifing ftrength, that, bulk for bulk, they are 1000 times ftronger than thofe of a man. This ftrength is of ufe in digging the animal's fubterraneous abode, whither it moft frequently returns, even after it becomes a winged infect capable of flying. Befides the difference which refults from the shape and colour of thefe animals, the fize alfo makes a confiderable one; fome beetles being not larger than the head of a pin; while others, fuch as the elephant beetle, are as big as one's fift. But the greatest difference among them is, that fome are produced in a month, and in a fingle season go through all the ftages of their exiftence; while others take near 4 years to their production, and live as winged infects a year more. 1. SCARABEUS CAPRICORNUS, the fmall gilded Capricorn, is of a true gold colour, but in fome lights has a caft of green and purple. It is often found among reeds by the banks of rivers. (Lister.) A variety of this fpecies, but which Lifter makes a diftinét fpecies, called the yellow Capricorn, has a large black spot on each of the cafes of the wings. It is found among the dry hay in April. 2. SCARABEUS CARABUS, the MAY-BUG, Dorr BEETLE, or COCK CHAFFER, has, like all the reft, a pair of cafes to its wings, which are of a reddish brown colour, fprinkled with a whitish duft, which eafily comes off. In fome years their necks are feen covered with a red plate, and in others with a black; these, however, are diftinct forts, and their difference is by no means accidental. The fore legs are very short, and the better calculated for burrowing in the ground, where this infect makes its retreat.. It is well known, for its evening buzz, to children; but ftill more formidably introduced to the acquaintance of the hufbandman and gardener; for in some seasons it has been found to fwarm in fuch numbers as to eat up every vegetable production. The two fexes in the may-bug are easily distinguished, by the superior length of the tufts, at the end of the horns, in the male. They begin to copulate in fummer; and at that season they are feen joined together for a confiderable time. They fly about in this ftate, the one hanging pendant from the tail of the other.. It has been fuppofed, that, like fnails, they are hermaphrodites, as there seems to be a mutual infertion. The female being impregnated, quickly falls to boring a hole into the ground, wherein to depofit her burden. This is generally about half a foot deep; and in it the places her eggs, which are of an oblong shape with great regularity, one by the other. They are of a bright yellow colour, and no way wrapped up in a com. mon covering, as fome have imagined. When the female is lightened of her burden, she againafcends from her hole, to live, as before, upon leaves and vegetables, to buzz in the fummer evening, and to lie hid among the branches of trees in the heat of the day. In about three months after thefe eggs have been thus depofited in the earth, the contained infect begins to break its shell, and a fmall grub or maggot crawls forth, and feeds upon the roots of whatever vegetable it happens to be nearest. All fubftances of this kind feem equally grateful; yet it is probable the mother infect has a choice among what kind of vegetables fhe fhall depofit her young. In this manner thefe voracious creatures continue in the worm ftate for more than three years, devouring the roots of every plant they approach, and making their way under ground in queft of food with great difpatch and facility. At length they grow to above the fize of a walnut, being a great thick white maggot with a red head, which is feen moft frequently in new turned earth, and which is eagerly fought after by birds of every fpecies. When largeft, they are an inch and a half long, of a whitish yellow colour; with a body confifting of 12 fegments or joints, on each fide of which there are 9 breathing holes, and 3 red feet. The head is large in proportion to the body, of a reddifh colour, with a pincer before, and a femicircular lip, with which it cuts the roots of plants, and fucks out their moisture. As this infect lives entirely are favourable to their propagation, they are seen in an evening as thick as flakes of fnow, and hitting againft every object with a fort of capricious blindness. Their duration, however, is but short, as they never furvive the feafon. They begin to join fhortly after they have been let loose from their prifon; and when the female is impregnated, fhe cautiously bores a hole in the ground, with an inftrument fitted for that purpose with which The is furnished at the tail; and there depofits her eggs, generally to the number of threefcore. If the feafon and the foil be adapted to their propagation, these foon multiply as already described, and go through the various ftages of their exiftence. This infect, however, in its worm state, though prejudicial to man, makes one of the chief repafts of the feathered tribe, and is generally the first nourishment with which they fupply their young. Hogs will root up the land for them, and at firft eat them greedily; but feldom meddle with them a fecond time. Rooks are particularly fond of thefe worms, and devour them in great numbers. The inhabitants of the county of Norfolk, fome time fince, went into the practice of deftroying their rookeries; but in proportion as they destroyed one plague, they were pestered with a greater; and these infects multiplied in fuch an amazing abundance, as to destroy not only the verdure of the fields, but even the roots of vegetables not yet fhot forth. One farm in particular was fo injured by them, in 1751, that the occupier was not able to pay his rent; and the landlord was not only content to lose his income for that year, but also gave money for the fupport of the farmer and his family. In Ireland they fuffered fo much by these infects, that they came to a refolution of fetting fire to a wood of fome extent, to prevent their mischievous propagation. "Neither the fevereft frofts in our climate (fays Mr Rack), nor even keeping them in water, will kill them. I have kept fome in water near a week; they appeared motionless; but on expofing them to the fun and air a few hours, they recovered, and were as lively as ever. Hence it is evident they can live without air. On examining them with a microscope, I could never difcover any organs for refpiration, or perceive any pulfation. When numerous, they are not deftroyed without great difficulty; the best method is, to plough up the land in thin furrows, and employ children to pick then up in bafkets; and then ftrew falt and quick-lime and harrow in. About 30 years fince I remember many farmers crops in Norfolk were almoft ruined by them in their grub ftate; and in the next season, when they took wing, the trees and hedges in many parifhes were ftripped bare of their leaves as in winter. At firft the people used to brush them down with poles, and then fweep them up and burn them. One farmer made oath that he gathered 80 bushels; but their number feemed not much leffened, except just in his own fields." entirely under ground, it has no occafion for eyes, and accordingly it has none; but is furnished with two feelers, which, like the crutch of a blind man, ferve to direct its motions. Such is the form of this animal, that lives for years in the worm ftate under ground, ftill voracious, and every year changing its skin. It is not till the end of the fourth year that this extraordinary infect prepares to emerge from its fubterraneous abode, and even this is not effected but by a tedious preparation. About the end of autumn, the grub begins to perceive the approaches of its transformation: it then buries itself deeper and deeper in the earth, fometimes fix feet beneath the surface; and there forms itself a capacious apartment, the walls of which it renders very smooth and thining by the exertions of its body. Its abode being thus formed, it begins foon after to shorten itself, to fwell, and to burst its last skin, to affume the form of a chryfalis. This, in the beginning, appears of a yellowish colour, which heightens by degrees, till at laft it is nearly red. Its exterior form plainly discovers all the veftiges of the future winged infect, all the fore parts being diftinctly feen; while, behind, the animal feems as if wrapped in fwaddling clothes. The young may-bug continues in this state for about 3 months longer; and it is not till the beginning of January that the aurelia divests itself of all its impediments, and becomes a winged infect completely formed. Yet fill the animal is far from its natural ftrength, health, and appetite. It undergoes a kind of infant imbecility; and, unlike most other infects, that the inftant they become flies are arrived at their ftate of full perfection, the may-bug continues feeble and fickly. Its colour is much brighter than in the perfect animal; all its parts are foft; and its voracious nature feems for a while to have entirely forfaken it. As the animal is very often found in this state, it is fuppofed, by thofe unacquainted with its real hiftory, that the old ones, of the former feason, have buried themfelves for the winter, in order to revisit the fun the ensuing fummer. But the fact is, the old one never furvives the feafon; but dies, like all other winged infects, from the feverity of cold in winter. About the end of May, these infects, after having lived 4 years under ground, burst from the earth when the first mild evening invites them abroad. They are then feen rifing from their long imprisonment, from living only upon roots, and imbibing only the moisture of the earth, to vifit the mildness of the fummer air, to choose the sweetest vegetables for their banquet, and to drink the dew of the evening. Wherever an attentive obferver then walks abroad, he will fee them burfting up before him in his pathway. He will fee every part of the earth, that had its surface beaten into hardness, perforated by their egreffion. When the feafon is favourable for them, they are seen by myriads buzzing along, hitting againft every object that intercepts their flight. The mid-day fun, however, feems too powerful for their constitutions: they then lurk under the leaves and branches of fome fhady tree; but the willow feems particularly their most favourite food; there they lurk in clufters, and seldom quit the tree till they have devoured all its verdure. In thofe feafons which 3. SCARABUS CARNIFEX, which the Americans call the tumble-dung, particularly demands our attention. It is all over of a dusky black, rounder than thofe animals are generally found to be, and fo ftrong, though not much larger than the common black beetle, that if one of them be put |