INDIRECT iNJUniES CAUSED BY INSECTS. 147 



he could not introduce the point of a knife between 

 them. They were deeply buried in the flesh ; and in 

 one instance that he witnessed, the miserable creature 

 was so exhausted by continual suction, that it fell, and 

 afterwards died in great agonies ''. 



No quadruped is more infested by the CEstrus, or 

 gad-fly, sometimes also called the breese, than the 

 horse. In this country no fewer than three species at- 

 tack it. The most common sort, known by the name 

 of the horse-bee {CE. Equi, Clark), deposits its eggs 

 (which being- covered with a slimy substance adhere to 

 the hairs) on such parts of the body as the animal can 

 reach with its tongue ; and thus, unconscious of what 

 it is doing-, it unwarily introduces into its own citadel 

 the troops of its enemy. — Another species (ffi. hce- 

 morrJwidalis, L.) is still more troublesome to it, ovi-- 

 positing upon the lips ; and in its endeavours to effect 

 this, from the excessive titillation it occasions, giving 

 the poor beast the most distressing uneasiness. At the 

 sight of this fly horses are always much agitated, toss- 

 ing their heads about in the air to drive it away ; and, 

 if this does not ansv/er, galloping off to a distant part 

 of their pasture, and, as their last resource, taking- 

 refuge in the water, where the gad-flies never follow 

 them. We learn from Reaumur, that in France the 

 grooms, when they observe any bots (which is the vul- 

 gar name for the larvae and pupas of CEstri) about the 

 anus of a horse or in its dung, thrust their hand into 

 the passage to search for more ; but this seems a use- 

 less precaution, which must occasion the animal great 

 pain to answer no good end ; for when the bots are 



* De Geer,vii. 158. 

 L 2 



