ARMADILLO VULGARIS. 495 



smell, and a somewhat pungent, sweetish, nauseous taste, 

 and are highly celebrated in suppressions, in all kinds of 

 obstructions of the bowels, in the jaundice, ague, weak- 

 ness of sight, and a variety of other disorders." And the 

 wine of Millepedes, prepared by crushing these animals 

 when fresh, and infusing them in Rhenish wine, is spoken 

 of as an " admirable clearer of all the viscera, yielding to 

 nothing in the jaundice and obstructions of the kidneys. 

 In the light of modern science, we can impute the cures 

 attributed to these creatures only to the effect produced 

 upon the imagination of the patient, and the curative 

 powers of nature, for, beyond some slight demulcient 

 qualities, they must be wholly inert, and are now wisely 

 discarded from the Pharmacopseias." (Fitch, in Report 

 on Noxious, Beneficial, and other Insects of the State of 

 New York. Albany, 1855.) They are still taken medi- 

 cinally in some parts of Somersetshire. 



The species is very widely dispersed and very common. 

 Its recorded localities are near London, and in Kent, 

 and generally tliroughout Ireland. It is very abundant 

 in the Midland counties, as well as in Devonshire and 

 Cornwall. 



