CH. X.] HISTORY OF THE MANTES, ETC. 157 



They do not lay their eggs in a conglomerated 

 mass, but indiscriminately scatter them in various 

 places. They, as well as the more perfect insects, 

 are so like portions of vegetables, that if one was 

 unacquainted with the circumstance of their dis- 

 similarity, he would be induced to pronounce them 

 seed vessels of some species of umbelliferous plants. 



Of the cockroach, or, as it is more generally 

 termed, black beetle, which so infests houses, but 

 more especially the bakers', in this metropolis, 

 there are many species ; some of them are nearly 

 three inches long. They principally inhabit the 

 warmer parts of the world, though now more scat- 

 tered, by means of shipping. The one most com- 

 mon in this country is from Asia; there is also 

 another, which came with raw sugar from the West 

 Indies. This pestiferous race of beings, says an 

 observer, are equally noisome and mischievous to 

 natives or strangers, but particularly to collectors. 

 These nasty and voracious insects fly out in the 

 evenings, and commit monstrous depredations. 

 They plunder and erode all kinds of victuals, dressed 

 and undressed, and damage all sorts of clothing, 

 especially those which are touched with powder, 

 pomatum, and similar substances, every thing made 

 of leather, books, paper, and various other articles ; 

 which, if they do not destroy, at least they soil, as 

 they frequently deposite a drop of their excrement 

 w^hen they settle, and some way or other, by that 

 means, damage what they cannot devour. They fly 

 into the flame of candles, and sometimes into the 

 dishes ; are very fond of ink and of oil, into which 

 they are apt to fall and perish. In this case they 

 soon turn most offensively putrid, so that a man 

 might as well sit over the cadaverous body of a 

 large animal as write with the ink in which they 

 have died. They often fly into persons'' faces and 

 bosoms; and their legs being armed with sharp 

 spines, the pricking excites a sudden horror not 



Vol. II.— 



