166 The Natural Historg 



These Verinine are plenty iu this Country, whereof there are 

 two Sorts, viz. the Dog, or large Tide, and the small or Sea 

 Tick. 



The large or Dog tick, is the same as with us in Ireland, 

 only it has a brown Spot on the Back, which disappears as it 

 grows large. It's Food is the Blood of several Animals, 

 which it most greedily sucks, yet it hath no passage to void 

 the excrements by, and generally sucks till it falls of, being 

 so full, and in process of time bursts and dies. The juice of 

 the Dog-tick is a Depilatory, kills Ring- Worms, the Erysipe- 

 las, and Itch. These vermine are destroy'd by the Powder or 

 decoction of Coloquintida. 



The Sea Ticks are so call'd from their being so plentiful in 

 the marshes on the water sides, they are so small that they are 

 scarce as large as a small pins head, and are very troublesome 

 to those that travel in the Woods and near the sides of the 

 Rivers, for they stick so fast in the Skin, that it is impossi- 

 ble to pluck them out, and are apt to occasion Inflammations, 

 Fevers, or inveterate Sores, by scratching the part : And not- 

 withstanding they are so troublesome, yet they are easily de- 

 stroyed by washing the parts in the Rivers, or by a decoction 

 of the leaves of Tobacco or Coloquintida. Those that travel 

 the Woods in their Boots are never pester'd with these ver- 

 mine, or if they anoint their limbs with Bears-grease, as the 

 Indians do, who are never troubled with them. They seldom 

 appear till the Month of May. and continue till August; 

 and are supposed to be the spawn of the former, which I 

 am apt to believe, for I have frequently found the large Ticks 

 (after they have bursted) with vast quantities of young onei. 

 in them. 



Tlio. Locust, is an Insect or fly with a head like a Horse, 

 six Legs and as many Wing-s, and are of divers colours. They 

 lay Eggs in Autumn, wliich lie all M^ inter in the Ground, 



but 



