123 INDIRECT INJURIES CAUSED BY INSECTS. 



(T. tarandinus), which, by a singular instinct, instead of their skin, makes 

 its incision in their horns when tender. 



Our dogs, the faithful guardians of our other domestic animals and 

 possessions, the attached companions of our walks, and instruments of 

 many of our pleasures and amusements, cannot defend themselves from 

 insect annoyance. They have their peculiar louse, and the flea sucks 

 their blood in common with that of their master : you must also often have 

 noticed how much they suffer from the dog-tick, which, when once it has 

 fixed itself in their flesh, will in a short time, from the size of a pin's 

 head, so swell itself out by gorging their blood that it will equal in dimen- 

 sions what is called the tick-bean. In the West Indies these ticks, or one 

 like them, get into the ears and head of the dogs, and so annoy them and 

 wear them out that they either die or are obliged to be killed.^ 



Some of the most esteemed dainties of our tables are supplied from such 

 of the winged part of the creation as we have domesticated. These also 

 have a louse (^Nirmus) appropriated to them, and the gorgeous peacock is 

 infested by one of extraordinary dimensions and singular form.^ Pigeons, 

 in addition, often swarm with the bed-bug, which makes it advisable never 

 to have their lockers fixed to a dwelling-house. In their young, if your 

 curiosity urges you to examine them, you may find the larva of the flea, 

 which in its perfect state often swarms in poultry. 



Amongst our most valuable domestic animals I shall be very unjust 

 and ungrateful if I do not enumerate those industrious little creatures the 

 bees, from whose incessant labors and heaven-taught art we derive the 

 two precious productions of honey and wax. They also are infested by 

 numerous insect-enemies, some of which attack the bees themselves, while 

 others despoil them of their treasures. — They have parasites of a peculiar 

 genus (if indeed they are not the young larvae of Meloe), although at 

 present regarded as belonging to Pediculus"^, and mites (Gamasus gymnop- 

 ierorum) are frequently injurious to them. In Germany the bee-louse 

 {Braula cceca Nitsch), which is about the size of a flea and allied to the 

 Hippobosca, often infests populous hives so as greatly to annoy the bees 

 by fixing itself upon them (sometimes two, three, or more on a single bee), 

 and making them restless and indisposed to their usual labors.^ That 

 universal plunderer the wasp, and his formidable congener the hornet, 

 often seize and devour them, sometimes ripping open their body to come 

 at the honey, and at others carrying oft' that part in which it is situated. 

 The former frequently takes possession of a hive, having either destroyed 

 or driven away its inhabitants, and consumes all the honey it contains. 

 Nay there are certain idlers of their own species, called by apiarists, 



1 Mr. Kittoe. ^ Plaxe V. Fig. 3. 



3 Melittophagus Mus. Kirby. See Mon, Ap. Angl.W. \&S. {TriunguUnns Doufoar.) I 

 copy the following memorandum respecting M. meliitcE from my common-place book, May 

 7, 1812. On the flowers of Ficaria, Taraxacum, and Betlis, I found a great number of this 

 insect, which seemed extremely restless, running here and there over the flowers, and over 

 each other, with great swiftness, mounting the anthers, and sometimes lifting themselves 

 up above them, as if looking for something. One or two of them leaped upon my hand. 

 Near one of these flowers I found a small Andrena or Halictus, upon which some of these 

 creatures were busy sucking the poor animal, so that it seemed unable to fly away. When 

 disclosed from the egg, I imagine they get on the top of these flowers to attach themselves 

 to any of the Andrenida that may alight on them, or come sufficiently near for them to leap 

 on it.— K. 



* Kollar on Ins. inj. to Gardeners, &c. 73. 



