HUMAN PEDICULI 337 



tossed the stocking and its contents into the street, 

 and would have no more to do with it. On this slender 

 evidence he based calculations by which he arrived at 

 the conclusion that, though the fecundity of these insects 

 was not nearly so great as the popular saying implied, 

 yet that it was quite great enough to excite astonishment 

 and alarm that, in fact, a single female might in the 

 course of eight weeks become a grandmother, and witness 

 the birth of some 5000 descendants. Even if large 

 deductions were made from this, yet powers of multi- 

 plication would still be left which show how unsafe it 

 would be to let even a single specimen pass unheeded. 



The head louse is usually found amongst the hairs of 

 the head, but it may occur on other parts of the body 

 as well. According to Andrew Murray, its general 

 appearance varies with the nationality of its host, the 

 colour especially being considerably different when it 

 is found on dark-skinned races; e.g., on West Africans 

 and Australians it is nearly black, on Hindoos dark 

 and smoky, on Hottentots orange, on the Indians of 

 South America dark brown, while on the Chinese and 

 Japanese it is said to be yellowish. An attempt has 

 been made, though without success, to show that these 

 forms are distinct species. Amongst some uncivilised 

 tribes these insects are actually eaten, and apparently 

 with relish. The mother, innocent of thoughts of a 

 comb, relieves her child by hand-picking, and transfers 

 her captures to her mouth, apparently as an easy way 

 of disposing of them, thus imitating a habit which may 

 also be seen in monkeys. In his " Primitive Folk," 

 Reclus says that the Apache Indians, " when they have 

 leisure to attend to their comfort, cover their heads, 

 like the Australians and Andamanese, with a mud cap. 

 This is agreeably cool, and rids them of vermin. For 



