234 NATURAL HISTORY. [CH. XVI. 



slight which is so often cast upon the race of ani- 

 mals to which they belong. 



Of these, the moschetoes are perhaps the most 

 widely distributed. They swarm in the sultry 

 climes of Brazil and India, where one of the greatest 

 luxuries of life is an insect-proof moscheto-curtain ; 

 and they are not less obnoxious to the inhabitants 

 of the polar regions, where even those hardy people 

 find it necessary to protect their bodies from the 

 attacks of these insects by rubbing themselves over 

 with grease and other disgusting unguents. This 

 insect belongs to the same family as the English 

 gnats. From the abundance of the insects in North 

 America, we find the name of Moscheto Bay^ the 

 Moscheto Country, and the term Moschetoes, given 

 to various places. It appears to us, that the name 

 moscheto has been applied generally to any species 

 of the family of gnats found in foreign countries 

 which are particularly tormenting to man. A re- 

 cent author has, however, thought proper to over- 

 throw the received opinions of all previous travel- 

 lers and authors, and to give the name of moscheto 

 to another group of dipterous insects belonging to a 

 distinct family, Tipulida. It is true indeed that the 

 insects of this genus (Simulium) possess great irri- 

 tating powers, and abound in various northern 

 countries. Thus lately an interesting account was 

 given not only of the transformations of this genus, 

 but also of the molestations produced by swarms of 

 these flies in Lapland ; and the observer thinks that 

 the moscheto may be congenerous or allied to sim- 

 ulium. Lambert also, in his travels through Can- 

 ada, thus mentions the tormenting powers of a dip- 

 terous insect, which he has not described, but which 

 is unquestionably a simulium. " They are so very 

 small as to be hardly perceptible in their attacks, 

 and your forehead will be streaming with blood be- 

 fore you are sensible of being among them. I have 

 sat down to write, and have been obliged to throw 



