( 160 ) 



len-ed that, when roughly handled, they protrude their lling as 

 prepaiiri^ tO liriKC ; bui as to the reafon why the males alone are 

 provided with it, and not the females, I have formed fome conjec- 

 tures, but not fo as to fatisfy myfelf in that refped. 



The feet and cla«'S of this animal difplay the pcrfedl contrivance 

 manifell: in the formation of fo fmall a creature. Fig. 6. A B C D E F, 

 is one of the fix feet of the Loufe ; BCD, is the largcfl: claw, one 

 of Mhich the Loufe has on every foot, and, when the animal is on 

 that part of the body where there are no hairs, it lays hold of the 

 ikin with this claw, in order the more forcibly to introduce the 

 piercer which it carries in its head into the body, in order to fuck 

 the blood ; but when moving from place to place, or not employed 

 in fucking the blood, it does not cling to the body, but to the 

 Ihirt or other garment (on which alfo it lays its eggs), becaufe it 

 can eafily fix its claws into the filaments of the linen or woollen. 



To lay hold of a hair it grafps it with this claw and the prominent 

 part of the foot, which is Ihewn at D, and which is alfo provided 

 with a very fmall nail or claw, and more particularly the part E 

 which I call the Loufe's thumb, and which is alfo furniihed with a 

 fmall nail. For in like manner as we, in holding any thing in 

 our hands, ufe the thumb, fo does the Loufe in grafping a hair 

 make ufe of what I call its thumb. A F G, is that part of the 

 Loufe's leg which joins the body. 



I could have given a drawing of the Loufe's claw magnified to a 

 greater fize than the whole foot is here reprefcnted, but I do not make 

 ufe of fuch very deep magnifiers, unlefs neceffity requires it ; for I 

 think that an object is fufficiently magnified when we can fee all the 

 parts of it difiindly. 



Upon exhibiting this creature before the microfcope to a certain 

 great perfonage, he obfervcd to me, that his foldiers, who were in- 

 felled with lice, found them more troublefome in rainy than in dry 

 weather: for which I gave this reafon, that the clothes, when wet- 

 ted, Ihrink and comprefs the body fo clofely, as to impede the 



