342 OBSERYATIONS ON INSECTS AND YERMES. 



This, I imagine, is the queen,* or female wasp, the mother 

 of the future swarm. MARKWICK. 



(ESTRUS CURYICATJDA. This insect lays its nits, or eggs, 

 on horses' legs, flanks, &c. each on a single hair. The mag- 

 gots, when hatched, do not enter the horses' skins, but fall 

 to the ground. It seems to abound most in moist, moorish 

 places, though sometimes seen in the uplands. WHITE. 



NOSE FLY. About the beginning of July, a species of 

 fly (mused) obtains, which proves very tormenting to horses, 

 trying still to enter their nostrils and ears, and actually 

 laying their eggs in the latter of those organs, or perhaps 

 in both. When these abound, horses in woodland districts 

 become very impatient at their work, continually tossing 

 their heads, and rubbing their noses on each other, regard- 

 less of the driver ; so that accidents often ensue. In the 

 heat of the day, men are often obliged to desist from 

 ploughing. Saddle-horses are also very troublesome at sucli 

 seasons. Country people call this insect the nose fly. 



WHITE. 



Is not this insect the cestrus nasalis of Linnaeus, so well 

 described by Mr. Clark, in the third volume of the Linnaan 

 Transactions, under the name of cestrus veterinus ? 



MAEKWICK. 



ICHNEUMON FLY. I saw lately a small ichneumon fly 

 attack a spider much larger than itself, on a grass walk. 

 When the spider made any resistance, the ichneumon ap- 

 plied her tail to him, and stung him with great vehemence, 

 so that he soqn became dead and motionless. The ichneu- 

 mon then running backwards, drew her prey very nimbly 

 over the walk into the standing grass. This spider would 

 be deposited in some hole where the ichneumon would lay 

 some eggs ; and as soon as the eggs w r ere hatched, the car- 

 case would aiford ready food for the maggots. 



* In Mr. White's MSS., he mentions that he used to give a reward to boys 

 who brought him these female wasps in the spring, knowing that each of them 

 would be the parent of a new colony. ED. 



