454 ' ON WORMS. 



fhion, firfl: difpute the point, and then fight it 

 out : I defire not to be of the number of the 

 combatants, I beg to be excufed, and only to 

 have permiffion to laugh, whilft they difpute 

 and fight. 



Mr. Blaine, however, is too fafhionable a 

 writer, and too vigilant and eager to catch the 

 dernier goid of fcience, to be put off with the 

 ftale conondrum of the two Italian Doftors -, 

 but as mens' heads are everlaflingly caught by 

 the marvellous, he could do no lefs than join 

 the good company, who, weary of the old, wese 

 determined on a new fly-trap, and that propor- 

 tionally lefs ridiculous than the old, inafmuch, 

 as by the former, the eggs, or the young fry, 

 reach the deflination of philofophy, by the 

 fore, inftead of the backdoor ! It is really plea- 

 fant, to read with what gravity Profelfor Blaine 

 details, how " the fly to depofit her ova is feen 

 to hold her body upright, and preparing an tgg 

 covered with a glutinous liquor, fhe refts for a 

 moment on a hair, and depofits it !" — how " fhe 

 rifes and prepares another, till fome hundreds 

 are fo depofited;" and hovv^ at laft " thefe are 

 Jaid not to be carried into the flomach, till they 

 become xvorms, which takes place in a few days." 

 What ! I fuppofe the new hypothefis could not 

 have been warranted found, or would not run 

 quietly on all-fours, unlefs the eggs had pa- 

 tience to wait until they became v/orms. I'he 



fheep 



