^^t INSECTS. 



fire-fly, which lays its eggs where thefe infeds are in greateft number, 

 which produce worms, that feize and devour all the leaf-lice that come 

 near : another enemy is the worm of a peculiar kind of beetle, which 

 deftroys them in great numbers ; but the moft formidable is the ichneu- 

 mon fly, that feizes one of the largeft females, and lays its egg on her ; 

 this is hatched into a worm, which loon devours and deftroys the animal 

 from whofe body it fprung. 



THE BUG 



CONTRIVES its habitation with much art, feems to avoid the light 

 with great cunning, and if candles Ibe kept burning will not iffue 

 from its hiding place; but when darknefs promifes fecurity, it ifTues 

 from every corner, drops from the teller, crawls from behind the arras, 

 and travels with great afiiduity to the unhappy patient, who vainly wifhes 

 for reft and refrefhment. Not lefs difagreeable from their naufeous 

 ftench, than their unceafing appetites : when they crawl, the whole bed 

 is infeded j but, if accidentally killed, it is infupportable. In Great- 

 Britain they multiply lefs than on the Continent. In France and Italy the 

 beds, particularly in their inns, fwarm with them, as doth every piece of 

 furniture. They grow larger alfo, and bite more cruelly. 



This animal confifts of three principal parts j the head, the corfelet, 

 and the belly; has two brown eyes, very fmall, and a little prominent; 

 and two feelers, with three joints : underneath thefe is a crooked trunk, 

 which lies clofe on the breaft. The brcaft is a kind of ring, in which are 

 the two firft pair of legs. The belly confifts of nine rings, under which 

 are two pair of legs more. Each leg has three joints, forming the tb*gh, 

 leg, and foot, which is armed with a crooked claw, like a hook. The 

 body is fmooth, except a few fliort hairs about the vent, and on the two 

 laft rings. Its motion is flow and unwieldy j but its fight exquifite. This 

 infefl internally has the great artery, which as in all infefls performs the 

 fundions of the heart ^ apertures of the lungs on the right fide and left, 

 through which it breathes j a ftomach and inteftines. 



The male and female are plainly diftinguifhable. The female has an 

 ovary filled with eggs, joined together like a bunch of grapes ; each egg 



being 



