574 oNiscus. 



her womb, and fwim around with alertnefs and anima- 

 tion. 



All this while, the male, it is faid, continues fixed 

 upon his female, not for the purpofe of fecundation, but 

 of aflifting her to caft her flough; a good office ; in v/hich 

 he is not fuccefsful till he has exerted the whole of his 

 ftrength. 



On her firfl: appearance after leaving her coat, the 

 female is entirely white ; her flough, of a deep afli-co- 

 lour, is left floating iipon the furface, and fo entire, that 

 you would imagine it to be the real animal. This tranf- 

 formation being completed, the male leaves his female, 

 and unaffifl;ed undergoes a fimilar change. 



Onifcus doniejlica. This infed; inhabits damp houfes 

 and walls, and mufl: have been feen by every perfon. 

 The upper part of the body is dark brown, the belly 

 grey. Two varieties of this animal are found in the 

 feelds, having each, like it, the body divided into ten 

 fegments, exclufive of the head and tail. The latter 

 part terminates in two appendices *. The land onifci 

 are all fuppofed to be oviparous, while the aquatic pro- 

 duce living young. For fome time after being excluded 

 from the fliell, the former are often of a pale red colour. 

 The domeftic onifcus is gathered for medicinal pur- 

 pofes f . 



* Charleton Exerclt. 54. f Vide Barbut, p. 365, 



