( m ) 



To give a clearer conception of the great increafe of thefe animals, 

 let us fuppofe a perfon to have about his body two male Lice, and 

 as many females, and that the females in twelve days time lay two 

 hundred eggs, and that, fix days afterwards, out of thofe eggs are 

 produced an hundred males and as many females, and that this 

 young brood in eighteen days time are grown to a fize to propa- 

 gate their kind, and that each of thofe young females in the fpace 

 of twelve days more lays an hundred eggs, from which, in fix days 

 time, other young lice are produced; upon this fuppofition, the 

 number of lice fpringing from two females, will amount to ten 

 thoufand. Thus it appears that two females may, in eight weeks 

 time, be grandmothers, and fee ten thoufand lice of their own off- 

 fpring, which, unlefs reduced to actual demonllration, would feem 

 incredible ; and who can tell, whether in the heat of fummer thefe 

 creatures may not breed in half the time I have mentioned ? 



I will here put an end to this loufy difcourfe, which has gone to * 

 three times the length I intended ; but my defign in it was, to fa- 

 tisfy myfelf, and to convince others, that fome days are required for 

 the egg laid by a Loufe to produce a young one, befides the time 

 required for eggs to be again laid by fuch young one, and alfo to 

 afcertain in what numbers thefe creatures do multiply. 



♦ In the original, the author is much more prolix aud circumflantial than here fet down ; 

 but theTraiiQator has thought it fufficicnt, on fuch a fubjed, to give the fubflaacc and gc 

 Reral rcfult of bis obfcrvatioas. 





Vol. II. 



