158 The Natural Historic 



Sight, their Juice has the same effect, and their Ashes excel- 

 lent against Fluxes and the Gravel. 



The Lady Bird is a beautiful small Insect (with red Wings 

 and black spots thereon) which the Children in Ireland fre- 

 quently play with ; it is to be met with in Carolina in the 

 Summer time, and is a wonderful Cordial, curing all Fevers 

 how poysonous or malignant soever, by its sudorifick quality. 

 The Powder of its Body is of a deep Purple colour, and 

 emits its Tincture into Water and Spirits of Wine, being not 

 inferior to Saffron. 



The Cantliarides or Spanish-flies, are here likewise to be 

 met with in the Summer time. These Insects are produced 

 from small Worms like the Catter-pillar in Fig-Trees, Pcar- 

 Trees, Wild-Pmes or Pitch-Trees and the Eglantine--S?'2er; 

 Their uses and virtues are so well known, that it wou'd be 

 needless to trouble the reader about them. 



The Pismire or A^it, is a small, but industrious and wise 

 insect, gathering its food in the Summer in the full Moons 

 and resting in the new ones : They are like a common wealth, 

 and gather Corn for their Winter provisions, which they dry 

 and bite at both ends that it may not grow : They wear away 

 Stones by their assiduity and make beaten Road ways; they 

 help one another in drawing their Burthens ; dam out Water 

 and bury their Dead. The greater lead the way, and lesser 

 drag the Corn ; and when dirty, they cleanse themselves before 

 they enter into their habitations. They teach their young to 

 Labour, but expel the Idle, and when they carry their grain, 

 it is said to be a sign of fowl Weather. They cast up the 

 Earth over the Mouths of their Caves (that the Water may 

 not enter in) wherein they have three Cells ; in the one they 

 live, in another they breed and bury their Dead, and in third 

 they keep their Corn. They generate in Winter, and bring 



forth 



