Penfyfonma, Philadelphia, itg 



a delicate complexion. When the weather has 

 been cool for fome days, the mufquetoesdilappear. 

 But when it changes again, and efpecially after a 

 rain, they gather frequently in fuch quantities 

 about the houfes, that their numbers are afronifh- 

 ing. The chimneys of the Englifh, which have! 

 no valves for {hutting them up, afford the gnats 

 a free entrance into the houfes. In fultry even- 

 ings, they accompany the cattle in great fwarms, 

 from the woods to the houfes or to town, and 

 when they are drove before the houfes, the gnats 

 fly in wherever they can. In the greatefi heat of 

 fummer, they are fo numerous in fome places, 

 that the air feems to be quite full of them., efpe- 

 cially near fwamps and flagnate waters, fuch as 

 the river Morris in New Jcrfey. The inhabi- 

 tants therefore make a fire before their houfes, to 

 expel thefe difagreeable g.uefts by thefmoke. The; 

 old Swedes here, faid that gnats had .formerly 

 been much more numerous j that even at prefent 

 they fwarmed in vatl quantites on the fea fhore, 

 near the fait water; and that thofe which troubled 

 us this autumn in Philadelphia were of a more 

 venomous kind, than they commonly ufed to be. 

 This laft quality appeared from the blifters, 

 which were formed on the fpots, where the gnats 

 had inferted their fling. In Sweden I never felt- 

 any other inconvenience from their fting than a 

 little itching, whilil they fucked. But when 

 they flung me here at night, my face was fo dif- 

 figured by little red fpots and bliflers, that I was 

 almofl afhamed to (hew myfelf, 



I HAVE already mentioned fomewhat about the 

 enclofures ufual here; I now add, that moft of 



VOL. L I the 



