46‘1 
MITE. 
Leeweiilioeck, who, exclusive of other particulars, 
discovered that even the hairs or bristles with 
which the body is beset, are far from simple fila- 
ments, as commonly imagined, but resemble in 
their structure the awns of barley, being barbed 
on each side with numerous sharp-pointed pro- 
cesses. Leewenhoeck also observed that the Mite 
is oviparous, laying very, small, white, oval eggs, 
from which proceed the young animals, resembling 
the parents in all respects, except in the number 
of their legs, which, at first, amount to six only; 
the third pair from the head not making their ap- 
pearance till after the first casting of the skin. 
The eggs hatch in warm weather in about six or 
eight days, but in winter not under some weeks ; 
and it is observed to be not uncommon to see the 
young animal struggling to get clear of the egg- 
shell, which sometimes they are a whole day in 
bringing about. 
The Mite, considering its size, is a very voraci 
oils animal, devouring both animal and vegetable 
substances with equal avidity. It is also extremely 
tenacious of life, since we are assured by Leewen- 
hoek that a Mite which he glued to a pin before 
his microscope, lived in that situation for the space 
of eleven weeks. 
Acariis e.vidcerans or the Itch Mite, is a species 
of singular curiosity, not only from the unusual 
structure of its limbs, but on account of the many 
controversies relative to its real existence in the 
particular disease which it has been sujiposed to 
produce. In order to take a general view of this 
