270 INSECTS. 



defcribed it, but a probofcis or trunk, or pointed hollow fucker, with 

 which it pierces the fkin, and fucks the blood only. The ftomach i& 

 lodged partly in the breaft and back j but moft of it in the abdomen. 

 When fwollen with blood, it appears dark brown, vifible through the 

 Ikin i and is either a faint red, or a fuller bright brown, as the contents 

 of the ftomach are more or lefs changed. When it is empty, it is co- 

 lourlefs ; but when tilled it is plainly difcernible, and its motion very 

 extraordinary, working with very ftrong agitations, the old aliment mix- 

 ing with the new. If kept fafting two or three days, and placed on 

 the back of the hand, it will immediately feek for food -, the more readi- 

 ly, if the hand be rubbed till it grows red. The animal then turns irs 

 head to the fkin, and diligently fearches for fome pore ; when found, it 

 fixes the trunk therein, and foon the microfcope difcovers the blood af- 

 cending through the head, in a very rapid, and even frightful ftream. 

 The loufe has at that time fufficient appetite to feed in any pofture ; it 

 is then feen fucking with its head downward, and its tail elevated. If, 

 during this operation, the fkin be drawn tight, the trunk is bound faft, 

 and the animal is incapable of difengaging itfelf; but it more frequently 

 fuffers from its gluttony, fince it gorges to fuch a degree, that it is crufh- 

 ed to pieces by the flighteft imprefTion. 



- Swammerdam is inclined to think them hermaphrodites, having found 

 an ovary in not lefs than forty-two. In one were found ten large eggs, 

 and forty-four fmaller. Scarce any animal multiplies fo fafl as this un- 

 welcome intruder. The moment the nit gets rid of its fuperfluous moi- 

 fture, and throws off its fhell, it begins to breed in turn. Nothing fo 

 much prevents their increafe as cold drynefs : the nits mufl: be laid warm 

 and moderately moift to produce anything. Linnseus is of opinion, that 

 the head and the body loufe differ in no refpedt from each other. They 

 fcldom attack any in our climate, but fuch as from Qoth or famine invite 

 their company. 



It would be endlefs to defcribe the various tribes, under this name, 

 that fwarm on every part of nature j fcarce an animal, or vegetable, that 

 docs not fuffer from its own peculiar loufe. The Iheep, the horfe, the 

 hog, and the elephant j the whale, the fhark, the falmon, and the lob- 

 fter ; every hot-houfe and every garden is infefted with fome. Linnasus 

 once found a vegetable loufe on fome plants newly arrived from Ameri- 

 ca : willing to trace the little animal through its various ftages, he 

 brought it with him from London to Leyden, where it became the pa- 

 rent of fo numerous a progeny, that it foon over-run all the phyfic-gar- 

 den of that beautiful city. 



That 



