100 DIRECT INJURIES CAUSED BY INSECTS. 



the philosopher of Stagyra, whose mighty mind and lyn- 

 cean eve, in spite of those mists of prejudice and fable 

 that enveloped the age in which he lived, enabled him in 

 part to pierce through the gloom, and comprehend and 

 behold the fair outline that gives symmetry, grace and 

 beauty to the whole of nature's form, though he mistook, 

 or was not able to trace out, her less prominent features 

 and minor lineaments. 



It is now time to return from this long digression, 

 which however is closely connected with the subject of 

 this letter, to the point from which I deviated. Taking 

 my leave of the disgusting animals which gave rise to 

 it, I proceed to call your attention to another of our 

 pygmy tormentors, which, in the opinion of some, seems 

 to have been regarded as an agreeable rather than a re- 

 pulsive object. " Dear Miss," said a lively old Lady 

 to a friend of mine, (who had the misfortune to be con- 

 fined to her bed by a broken limb, and was complaining 

 that the fleas tormented her,) "don't you like Jleas ? 

 Well, I think they are the prettiest little merry things 

 in the world. — I never saw a dull flea in all my life." 

 The celebrated Willughby kept a favourite flea, which 

 used at stated times to be admitted to suck the palm of 

 his hand ; and enjoyed this privilege for three months, 

 when the cold killed it. And Dr. Townson, from the 

 encomium which he bestows upon these vigilant little 

 vaulters, as supplying the place of an alarum and driving 

 us from the bed of sloth, should seem to have regarded 

 them with feelings much more complacent than those of 

 Dr. Clarke and his friends, when their hopes of passing 

 " one night free from the attacks of vermin " were 



