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[Page 5]
I have twice seen small districts a prey to the utmost efforts of these vermin which were far more numerous to the best of my judment there than they now are anywhere round London. The 1st was for some miles round Stilton for some miles cheifly between that town & Bugden the Hedges in the month of June were as naked & leafless as in January every leaf being eaten up by the voracious insects the second by a small copse part of Norwood in Kent which I visited in pursuit of insects at that time my Favourite study This latter I examined most carefully here I carefully examined into the nature & progress of this later mischief the caterpillers were not arrivd at their full maturity as yet the leaves were totaly eaten up the consequence of which was that many of the caterpillers lay dead upon the ground for want of food & some had spun themselves into the webbs in which they up in expectation of their change to the
[In left margin]
Letter to Jonas Hanway about the Insect Webbs in the Hedges Spring 1782.