166 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 24, NO. 7-8, OCT.-NOV., 1922 



in 1658, embodied in a compilation made by Dr. John Rowland. 1 

 John Ray, 2 whom Cuvier has called the "first systematist of 

 the animal kingdom," was not born until 1627 and accomplished 

 his memorable work in the last quarter of the 17th century, while 

 the great Linne was not to appear on the scene until 1707. 



Thus it readily may be seen that the great poet's knowledge 

 of insect life must have been largely the result of experience 

 rather than reading. In spite of this, however, it is evident that 

 he knew something of the biology of the flesh-flies, the blow-flies, 

 the stomach-bot of the horse and the warble-fly of the domestic 

 ox. It is equally obvious from a passage occurring in the first 

 part of King Henry IV, Act II, that he was well informed regard- 

 ing some of the larval habits of the house flea. This seems all 

 the more remarkable when we realize that this play was written 

 in 1 597, while Van Leeuwenhoek's studies of the biology of the flea 

 were not conducted until the latter half of the following century! 

 Another remarkable entomological note occurs in Troilus and 

 Cressida: " I had rather be a tick in a sheep than such a valiant 

 ignorance," as this forms the only reference to Melophagus 

 ovinus to be found in all English poetry. 



Just as insects obtrude themselves into all sorts of unwelcome 

 and unlocked tor places in real life, so in poetry we find them 

 occurring in the most astonishingly odd situations. For 

 instance, who would look for such references in a lofty and 

 solemn epic poem such as Milton's "Paradise Lost"? Yet we 

 find nearly a dozen of them scattered through the work, the 

 most important occurring in Book VII, in the account of the 

 creation: 



"At once came forth whatever creeps the ground, 

 Insect or worm. Those waved their limber fans 

 For wings and smallest lineaments exact 

 In all the liveries decked of summer's pride, 

 \\ith spots of gold and purple, azure and green." 



While in Paradise Regained there occurs the only reference to 

 the flies of the genus Drosophila which it has been possible to 

 identify with certainty: 



"Or as a swarm of flies in vintage time, 

 About the wine press where sweet must is poured, 

 Beat off, returns with humming sound." 



-Book IV. 



Possibly it may be contended that Izaak Walton, author of 



: The History of the Four-Footed Beasts and Serpents: by Edward Topsell, 

 edited and compiled by Dr. John Rowland, London, England, 1658, printed by 

 E. Cotes, at the Bible, Ludgate Hill, 1130 pages. 



Systematic Zoology: Its Progress and Purpose, Theo. Gill, Report Smithson- 

 ian Inst., 1907, p. 449. 



