( 1C8 ) 



twenty-five lice of three different fizes, fome of which I judged 

 were two days old, others a day old, and the rcll newly come out 

 of the egg, belides others- ready to come forth, as I found ujion 

 opening one of the remaining eggs. l]ut I was fo difgulled at the 

 fight of fo many lice, that I threw the liocking containing them 

 into the ftreet ; after which I rubbed my leg and foot very hard, in 

 order to kill any Loufe that might be on it, and repeating the 

 rubbing four hours afterwards, 1 put on a clean white under 

 flocking. 



I have caufed a drawing to be made of the Loufe's eggs, (com- 

 monly called nits), as viewed by the microfcope, to fliew from what 

 part the young Loufe ilfues forth. Fig. 7, IS () P, is the egg, Q R, 

 is a hair of the wool to which the egg is fixed, by means of fome 

 gummy fubflance, which the Loufe emits from its body together 

 with the egg. At N, is fhewn how part of the egg is shaped, 

 foraewhat like a lid or cover, which in all probability is made very 

 tender or brittle, that the young Loufe, when. grown to its full fizc 

 within the egg, may be able to break it open and ililie forth ; 

 whereas other young animals, who are provided with teeth or pin- 

 cers, can gnaw or bore holes in the fliell. Fig. 8, S T V, is ano- 

 ther egg, A\ herein, at T, may be feen that the flieli of thefe very 

 fmall eggs is provided v/ith a fkin or membrane, the fame as a 

 hen's or other bird's egg ; and under the lid or cover of this egg, 

 which the young Loufe breaks open, there is another thin mem- 

 brane, which is alfb broken by the young Loufe, and is to be feen 

 atT. 



Now fince we fee, by experiment, that a Loufe in the fpace of 

 fix days can lay fifty eggs, and have as many more remaining in its 

 body, we may eafily conceive, that a poor perfon who has an hun- 

 dred female Lice about his body, and has not any change of clothes 

 or linen, and who, moreover, through floth is carelefs of deflroying 

 thofe he has about him, may in a few months (if I may ufe the 

 expreffion) be devoured by thefe vermin. 



