THE COMMON HORSE. 435 



botts, which are the larvae or grubs of a species of 

 gadfly*. The parent insect deposits her eggs on 

 the hairs of some part of the body which the Horse 

 can reach with his tongue; and, in the animal's 

 licking himself, they are conveyed into the mouth, 

 and thence to the stomach or intestines, where they 

 are hatched, and become botts. When these arrive 

 at their full growth, they loose their hold, and pass- 

 ing through the body, fall to the ground, where 

 they undergo their final change into winged insects. 



If Horses be well treated, and proper care be 

 taken of them, it is said that they will sometimes 

 live to the great age of fifty years; but during part 

 of this time they are generally so decrepid as to 

 perform no services whatever to their owner. The 

 female, or mare, goes with young two hundred and 

 ninety days, and seldom produces more than one 

 foal at a birth. 



There is a prevalent notion, that the flesh of the 

 Horse is bitter, and unpalatable to the taste. This, 

 however, is not true. It is eaten in the various 

 countries of Asia; and the Calmuc Tartars are so 

 partial to it, that they seldom eat any other kind of 

 flesh. They likewise drink the milk of the mare, 

 and make of it both butter and cheese. Dampier 

 informs us that he frequently saw Horses' flesh ex- 

 posed for sale in the markets of Tonquin; and he 

 says expressly, that it was as much esteemed amongst 



Oestrus equi of Linnaeus. 



Gg 2 the 



