B T ] THE HISTORY OF ANIMALS. 125 



said that this was first woven in the island of Cos by 

 Pamphila, the daughter of Plateos. 



7. From the worms in dry wood the insects called carabi 

 are produced in the same manner ; for at first they are im- 

 moveable worms, and afterwards the carabi are produced by 

 the rupture of their case. The crambides originate in the 

 plant called crambe, and these also have wings, and the 

 prasocurides from the plant called prasum (onion). The 

 oestri are produced from the little flat creatures that are 

 found on the surface of rivers. Wherefore also they con 

 gregate in the greatest numbers around the waters where 

 such animals are found. The kind of pygolampis which 

 has no wings originates in a small, black, hairy caterpillar. 

 These undergo another change, and turn into the winged 

 creatures called bostrychi. 



8. The empides originate in ascarides, and the ascarides 

 originate in the mud of wells and running waters which flow 

 over an earthy bottom. At first the decaying mud acquires 

 a white colour, which afterwards becomes black, and finally 

 red. \Vhen this takes place, very small red creatures are 

 seen growing in it like fuci. At first these move about in a 

 mass, afterwards their connection is ruptured, the creatures 

 called ascarides are borne about in the water, after a few 

 days they stand erect in the water without motion and of a 

 hard texture, and subsequently the case is broken and the 

 empis sits upon it until either the sun or the wind enables 

 it to move, then it flies away. 



9. The commencement of life in all other worms, and in 

 all creatures produced from worms, originates in the influ- 

 ence of the sun and wind. The ascarides are produced in 

 greater numbers, and more quickly, where the various 

 matters are mixed together, as in the works conducted in 

 the Megarian territory, for putrefaction thus takes place 

 more readily. The autumnal season also is favourable to 

 their increase, for there is less moisture at that time of the 

 year. The crotones 1 originate in the agrostis, the melo-^ 

 lonthae from the worms which originate in the dung of oxen \ 

 and asses. 



10. The canthari which roll up dung, hide, themselves in 

 it during the winter, and produce worms, which afterwards 



1 Ticks. Acarus ricinus. 



