on the CEstri and Cuterebrse of various Animals. 83 



matter by words to convey a notion of the precise sound he gives ; but as 

 nearly as I can express it by letters of the alphabet, I will endeavour to do so. 

 It commences by a forcible whispering- shrill sound, the air passing through the 

 almost closed lips, in pronouncing the following letters, pt — pth — ung, con- 

 cluding with the more sonorous ung, prolonged for some time. I am, there- 

 fore, now most fully induced to believe in the accuracy of the Mantuan bard, 

 who was, I doubt not, practically acquainted with these things, and for which 

 property of accuracy he has been particularly and justly celebrated." 



We may also further observe, that there cannot well be any very painful inflic- 

 tion, as the fly has really no instrument fitted for such a purpose, the feminine 

 ovipositor being a mere tube, made of flexible materials, piece inserted within 

 piece, exactly as in the common telescope. However, it is possible on its 

 reaching the cuticle or skin of the beast, which is always highly sensitive in 

 these hairy animals, that it might produce a degree of uneasy tickling, which, 

 added to the noise, and perhaps an instinctive fear also impressed upon them, 

 is altogether sufficient for the extraordinary alarm we see. 



In the same page, insert as a note on Tanagri, " ex ravaypoc, i. e. locus hu- 

 midusr Heder. Lexicon. 



At page 7, after naturalists, insert, " Pliny has also noticed the (Estri, and 

 has recommended for protecting animals from their attacks, to anoint them 

 well with oils and fats." 



At page 8, after " Bots" insert, " The acute and witty author of Hudibras 

 also has not let slip the manners of this singular i-ace of flies : he says of 

 them, following Pliny, though obviously in mistake, 



' The learned write, an insect breeze 

 Is but a mongrel prince of bees.' " — Part iii. c. 2. 



At page 14, after " Modeer," insert, " This last writer it was who first added 

 a new species to the Linnean enumeration of them. His account appears in 

 the 'Acta Suecica,' tom. vii. p. 125, and the species is introduced to our notice 

 under the name of CEstrus Trompe. What the specific name alludes to I can 

 hardly tell *, but I have of late been led to doubt that this fly might be no 



* Since writing the above, on casually inspecting the ' Fauna Suecica ' of Linnaeus, 1 believe that I have 

 found the solution of the mystery as to the name, Trompe. At p. 429 of that work. No. 1722, under 

 CEstrus nasalis, he writes " Lappis, trompe." It is, therefore, clearly the vernacular name given it by 



M 2 



