886 .J A M A I C A. 



Swecjes, broJoefiis, or br^ad-eater. Lianffius diftinguil'hes it by 

 the name of blattq Orientalis; for it is common to both the Indies, 

 There are three Ipecies in Jamaica. The firft is very fcarce, of a 

 greeu colour, and has been noticed only in the leeward parts of the 

 illaud. Th§ -ftpoiid, whiqli;.chiefly refides in vaults and cellar^ 

 is.X)f .a ytJ^Y dark-browfi colour; the belly black, with tranfvcrfe 

 lines of white; it, 15. ioagi^r than the EnghOi cock-chafers, torpid, 

 madive, and loathfome. The third fort, which frequents the 

 apartments of dwelling-houfes, is fmallcr, of a light-chefnut, or 

 reddifli hue, with a very comprefled body, which enables them to 

 iofmuate theinfelve? into bureaus, boxes, and dr.g.^yers, through 

 very fmall crevices. The cabinet- ware, made in England for 

 exportation to this ifland, ought to be very clofely paneled, fcrewed 

 3t the back, top, and bottom, and of dry, well-feafoned fluft : 

 otherwife, when the wood comes to fhrink, it will aftbrd numerous 

 apertures for the free paflage of thefe jijfefts, who not only do a 

 great deal, of damage to cloths of all kinds, but impart to every 

 thing they touch a moft offenfive Imell. They are fond of 

 glutinous, or greafy, fubfiances; but will eat any thing, leather, 

 parchment, linen, woolen, manna, and even yEthiops mineral ; 

 nothing comes amils. Nature feems to have given them fcarcely 

 any appearance of inftinftive choice in feledling wholefome, or re- 

 jecting noxious, aliment: for want of this fagacity, they often fall 

 vidims to their ravenous appetite ; and, indeed, if it were not fpr 

 this, they would foon fwarm in fuch multitudes, as to become 

 worfe plagues than any that infefted the land of Egypt ; for they 

 are extremely tenacious of life, and, when crufhed with the foot, 

 are often feen crawling again, and dragging a trail of bowels after 

 them. A fcorpion, a houfe-fpider, and a cock-roach, were put 

 all together for experiment into a well-corked phial, and imprifoned 

 till they died ; but the cockroach furvived the longefl. They lay 

 a great number of eggs, which are of a wedge-like form, and co- 

 vered with a firm, (hining, brown integument : they generally 

 fallen them to fome fubftance ; and they are not eafily demolifhed 

 by other infeds. So wifely are the Icales of being ordered, that all 

 creatures are checked in their redundancy ; neither being fuffered, 

 ow the one hand, to multiply beyond a cextain allotted limit, nor, 



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