42 pliny's natural histoby. [Book XI. 



medicine, 53 while the rest of the body is deadly. Again, 

 liquids turned sour will produce other kinds of gnats, and 

 white grubs are to be found in snow that has lain long on the 

 ground, while those that lie above are of a reddish 54 colour — 

 indeed, the snow itself becomes red after it has lain some 

 time on the ground. These grubs are covered with a sort of 

 hair, are of a rather large size, and in a state of torpor. 



CHAP. 42. (36.) — AN ANIJIAL FOUND IN TIRE — THE PYBALLIS 



OB. PYKAUSTA. 



That element, also, which is so destructive to matter, pro- 

 duces certain animals ; for in the copper-smelting furnaces of 

 Cyprus, in the very midst of the fire, there is to be seen flying 

 about a four-footed animal with wings, the size of a large fly : 

 this creature is called the " pyrallis," and by some the " py- 

 rausta." So long as it remains in the fire it will live, but if it 

 comes out and flies a little distance from it, it will instantly 

 die. 



CHAP. 43. THE ANIMAL CALLED HEMEKOBION. 



The Hypanis, a river of Pontus, brings down in its waters, 

 about the time of the summer solstice, small membranous par- 

 ticles, like a grape-stone in appearance ; from which there issues 

 an animal 55 with four legs and with wings, similar to the one 

 just mentioned. It does not, however, live more than a single 

 day, from which circumstance it has obtained the name of 

 '.' hemerobion." 56 The life of other insects of a similar nature 

 is regulated from its beginning to its end by multiples of 

 seven. Thrice seven days is the duration of the life of the 

 gnat and of the maggot, while those that are viviparous live 

 four times seven days, and their various changes and transforma- 

 tions take place in periods of three or four days. The other 

 insects of this kind that are winged, generally die in the 



k» See B. xsix. c. 30. 



64 The redness sometimes observed on the snow of the Alps and the 

 Pyrenees, is supposed by De Lamarck to be produced by animalculae : 

 other naturalists, however, suppose it to arise from vegetable or mineral 

 causes. 



55 Cuvier thinks that he alludes to a variety of the ephemera or the phry- 

 ganea of Linnaeus, the case-wing flies, many of which are particularly 

 short-lived. These are by no means peculiar to the river Bog or Hypanis. 



56 " Living for a day."" 



