4476 Insects. 



April 10th, 1853. — Our old enemies the fleas are as pertinacious 

 as ever in their midnight attacks, and rob us of a great deal of valuable 

 slumber. We make frequent onslaughts on to them, but although 

 we kill them by scores (we have positively killed as many as sixty in 

 a day) they seem to be as numerous as ever — / spare none — 

 considering that 



The flea that bites and takes to flight 



May live to bite another night ; 

 Whilst he that 'twixt my nails is slain 



Will never come to bite again. 



August 10th, 1853. — I am sorry I did not send you some specimens 

 of the sand-flies, which were so annoying at Melbourne in November 

 last. The truth is, 1 never thought about it, and, happily for my 

 comfort, I have seen none since. Insects generally are very shy at 

 present, and it is very seldom that I can find any, but I make prisoners 

 of all I see. 



January 8th, 1854. — The insect tribes are now all alive, deuce take 

 them, and the flies and ants do the utmost in their power to fill the 

 lunatic-asylums by driving persons mad with their annoyances. Any- 

 thing like it I never endured in my life before, and could never have 

 formed any conception of: they are at you from before sunrise until 

 sunset, and then come the mosquitoes, though I don't care for them, 

 as they never attack me — probably I don't agree with them, — I only 

 wish the fleas were of the same opinion. The ants swarm every- 

 where. One little black species is especially annoying, for they get 

 into one's clothes and sting most unmercifully, and are always getting 

 mixed up with one's food, which, as they smell most abominably, is 

 not exactly agreeable. I am become almost a vegetarian ; I live 

 principally upon bread and cheese, rice and stewed apricots, for it is 

 impossible to keep meat good, even for a day. I have bought meat 

 at night, which has been just killed and quite warm, and, taking all 

 the c?j*e I could with it, have found it the next morning a crawling 

 mass 6f maggots ! — Ugh ! 



