THE BRITISH WOODLICE, 53 



that he turned over, and here the smaller species of ants also 

 abounded. Close to stone walls Avmadillidia were to be seen 

 to the exclusion of all other genera, and this state of affairs was 

 ascribed by Mr. Odell to the presence of swarms of the large 

 wood-ants which he considers would make short work of any 

 woodlice that could not protect themselves by rolling up. 



We ought not to conclude this account without mentioning 

 the fact that w T oodlice once played an important part in medicine. 



Doctor Fernie (28) gives some interesting extracts with 

 regard to the hoglouse and the woodlouse. The latter he 

 seems to have identified quite correctly as Oniscus asellus. He 

 calls the former, however, indiscriminately, " the common 

 armadillo " (which is the old name for the pill- woodlice now 

 known as Avinadillidium), " the pill millipede " and " Glonuvis 

 inavginata" The last two names are those of another creature, 

 not a crustacean, which when it is rolled up can be very easily 

 mistaken for an Avinadillidium , though, when it uncurls, it will be 

 seen to have many more than seven pairs of legs. The local 

 appellations applied to the hog-louse by Doctor Fernie, and his 

 remarks with regard to its commonness, tend to show that it 

 is Avinadillidium vulgave, to which he really refers, and the use 

 of which in medicine was commonly general. 



Hog-lice were prescribed for scrofulous diseases and 

 obstructions of the liver and digestive organs, among other 

 things, and the London College of Physicians directed that 

 the creatures should be prepared by suspending them in a thin 

 canvas bag placed within a covered vessel over the steam of hot 

 spirit or wine, so that being killed by the spirit they might 

 become friable. Hog-lice and Wood-lice were also administered 

 alive, while the former were also put down the throats of cows 

 "to promote the restoration" of their cud, hence their name 

 of " cud-worm." There seems to be considerable evidence that 

 even in modern times Wood-lice have had considerable remedial 

 effect which depends upon an alkalescent fluid contained in 

 them. 



Local Names. — Among the local names by which these 

 creatures are known are those of "sow bug," "lucre pig" 

 (Berkshire), " carpenter " and " chiselhog " (Berkshire). 

 Doctor Fernie (28) gives a number of others . — " thrush-louse," 

 u tiggyhog," "cheslip," " kitchenball," " chiselbob," " lugdor," 



