On the Insect called Oistros hij the Ancients. 403 



coveries in the characters and natural habits of this singular 

 race of insects*. 



Disputations about the meaning of the ancients, and identi- 

 fying their descriptions with the modern species of natural 

 history, would perhaps, in a general way, be better avoided in 

 the valuable volumes of this Society, as leading to much desul- 

 tory and unsatisfactory discussion : practical subjects and didac- 

 tic facts would perhaps better maintain their reputation. As, 

 however, the Society have in this instance already admitted the 

 discussion, it is but fair and just to allow the reply in the same 

 channel, that the impression, if erroneous, may be removed. 



W. S. jNIacLeay, in the paper alluded to, insists that the oUr^oç 

 of the ancients, and the Biize or Breeze of the old English poets, 

 is not the Œlstrus of the moderns ; and he infers this from the 

 anatomical characters which some of the ancient authors have 

 left us of their insect. Now, besides the anatomical descriptions 

 to be found in the works of philosophers, there is another mode 

 of identifying the insect; and that is, b}^ the description of the 

 effects it produces upon cattle, and which are so singular, that 

 they have atibrded incidents to most rural poets, ancient and 

 modern : and the truth seems to be, that the poets in describing 

 these eftects have been true to nature ; while the philosophers, 

 bein^i- presented with a wrong insect, have only involved the 

 subject in error. 



That it is an Italian insect we have the authority of \'alli- 

 sneri of Padua, who appears to have been the first naturalist 

 who l)red the true (Ksfriis Bovis from the grubs found in the 

 backs of the cattle ; and for the first time, as far as we possess 

 any record of the subject, saw with certainty the identical object 

 that created so much commotion among them. He applied 



* Published in the .'Ird volume of the Society's Transactions. 



correctlv 



