404 Mr. BuACY Clauk on the Insect 



correctly enougli the passages of the ancients which he thought 

 had alUision to this insect. Reaumur followed Vallisneri in 

 these researches, and bred with great difficulty one imperfect 

 specimen of the true Œstrus Bovis. Linna?us next followed ; 

 but not having ever seen the insect, and not daring to describe 

 from figures merely, or the descriptions of others, he took the 

 large Horse Bot for it, — the Œ.stnis Equi of my enumeration. 

 This error is continued through all the editions of the Sijstema 

 Nafurce, intending all the while, and referring to Vallisneri and 

 Reaumur for, the true Œstrus Bovis. Thus, like some of the 

 ancients, he also described a spotted-winged insect for the Œstrus 

 Bovis; whereas the true insect has perfecth^ spotless wings. The 

 true tiy cannot be caught in the act of oviposition, from the 

 violent running of the cattle, and the terror they are in at the 

 approach of their enemy. 



'1 his makes it more than probable, nay, almost certain, that 

 if Aristotle, iTîlian or Pliny described an insect with spotted 

 wings, or with a trunk or proboscis, &c., they knew nothing 

 about the true Œ. Bovis, and had been deceived as to the real 

 object of their research. It was indeed much more easy for 

 them to have been presented with one of the numerous host of 

 tlies that infest the backs of cattle and lodge on them, than the 

 true Œ. Bovis. Their tly may have been a Tabamis or an Asilus, 

 a Conops, or a CuUw, or any other with spotted wings ; foi- as the 

 true fly cannot be caught in the act of oviposition, it Mas next to 

 impossible they should have discovered, or been made acquainted 

 with, the true object of such disturbance. Indeed, during these 

 commotions it would be dangerous to approach the cattle, or 

 to remove any thing from their back ; and if an insect was caught 

 under any other circumstance, how could it be known that it was 

 the genuine cause of this as-itation ? 



It is in vain now to in(juire what precise fly these ancient phi- 

 losophers 



