Country rambles in England : $b or, Journal of a naturalistKnapp, J. L. (John Leonard)
History
Country rambles in England : $b or, Journal of a naturalist
Knapp, J. L. (John Leonard)
Natural history -- England; Natural history -- Outdoor books
* * * “The leaves employed by the leaf-cutter, are materials of somewhat
stubborn texture, those sometimes of the mountain ash, and birch, as
well as the rose, herein enhancing the skill of their employer. It would
seem, however, that pliability and thinness are qualities somewhat
regarded, and most wonderfully discerned by the little artist in
question; for we have noticed in more than one summer, the smooth,
delicate, tender leaves of a dark variety of China rose, almost
scolloped by the circles and ovals of her excision, while the foliage of
the “cabbage” close by, has been left untouched, as if too coarse and
common for her purpose.”—_Acheta Domestica._
Reaumur relates that a gardener at Rouen, once chancing to dig up the
nest of a leaf-cutter bee, was so utterly amazed with the singular skill
of the contrivance that he was terrified, and hastened with it to the
priest of the parish, believing it to be nothing less than the work of
witchcraft. Monsieur le Curé, it appears, had something of the same
suspicions; he advised the man to carry the nest to Paris; the gardener,
however, took it first to a distinguished Naturalist living at Rouen,
who relieved the poor fellow’s mind by opening one of the cases and
showing him the grub within.
We learn that there are several leaf-cutting or upholsterer bees, in the
United States, although it is not probable that either is precisely
similar to that alluded to by Mr. Knapp, and the author of Acheta
Domestica.
NOTE E.
THE ROSE-BEETLE, (_Cetonia Aurata_,) p. 53.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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