Plinics Naturall Hiftone. 



A all for a kind of baflard honey, whereof yet there is fome ufe in Phy ficke , In Thrac<ibnearc to 

 OlynthuSj there is a little cerritorie or plot of ground^where this one creature (among^lJ other) 

 cannot live; whereupon the place is called Cantharolethus . The wings generally of all In- 

 fers, bee whole, without any flit : and none of them hath a tailc but the Scorjiion. Hee alone 

 hath notonclyarmcs, butairoaftinginthc taile; As for the reft, fome of them haveafharpc 

 pricked weapon in their muzzle, as namely, the Brcele or great Horfc-fiie, called in Latine 

 %^ film ot T <i^4W, whether you will. Likcwife Gnats alfo, atidfbme kind of flics. And thefe 

 prickesfervc them in good ftead both for mouth and tongue. Some of thefe are but blunt, 

 and not good for to prickc , but onely handfome to fucke withall , as flies, which have all of 

 them a tongue , beeing evidently fift ulous and like a pipe . And none of all thefe have any 



J. teeth , There be Infects with little homes proaking out before their eyes, but weake and ten- 

 <ler they be, and good for nothing; as the Butterflies , And there bee againe, thqt are not win- 

 ged, and fuch be the Scolopendres All Infcds that have legges and feet, gob upt diredly, bus 

 bias and crooked. Of whicb,fbme have the hinder legges longer than theformer,and fuch bend 

 hooked outward j as th^Locufls, 



Chap. xxiX. 



THe Locufts lay egges in Autumne,by thrufting downc into the ground the fiiliile or end 

 of their chine, and thofe come forth in great abundance. Thefe eggs lie all winter long in . 

 the earth 5 and at the end of the Ipring the yeere following, they put out little Locuftsj 

 blackc of colour, without legs, and creeping upon their wings. Hereupon it commeth, that if is 

 be a wet {pring and rainie, thofe egs peril"h and come to no good : but in a drie icaibn^ there will 

 be greater cncreafe and ftore of Locufts the Summer enfuing. Some writers hold opinionjthat 

 they lay and breed twice ayeare:likewiie that they perifh and die asoften.For they fay,that when 

 the ftar Vergiliie doth ari(e,they breed rand thole afrerwards about the bcginningof theDog- 

 daicSjdic^ and others then come in their place. Others fay,that they engender and breed againe 

 theirfecond litter, at the full or fetting of Ar(5turus . True it is indeed, that the mothers diefb 

 foone as they have brought foorth their little ones,by reafonof a Imall wormethacprcfently 

 J) brecdeth about their throat,which choketh them. And at the fame time, the males likewile mit 

 carrie. See what alictlematter ( to fpeake of) bringeth them to their death I and yet a woonder it 

 is to confider,how one of them when it M will kill a ferpent;for it will take him fafl by the chaws^ 

 and never linbitinguncill fliee hath diipatched him. Thefe little bcafts breed no where but in> 

 plaine and champion countries, namely, fiiich as be full of chinkes andcrevifcsinthe ground.^ 

 Itisrcported,that thercbeof them inIndia.^threefootlcng:wherethe people of the countrey 

 ufe their legs and thighesfor iawes,when they be throughly dried. TheleLocufts.cume by their 

 death another way, beildcs that abovc-nrancd: for when the wind takcth them up by whole 

 troupes togither, they fall downe either into the lea, or fome great ll:anding pooles^ And this 

 many a time happeneth by meere chaunce and fortune j and not (as many have luppoled in old 

 £ time) becaule their wings are wet with the night dew. For even the fame Aurhors have writteny 

 that they flic not in the night for cold. But litde know they,that it is ordinarifc with them to pafic 

 over wide and broad fcas, and to continue their flight many daies togither without reft. And the 

 greater wonder is this, that they know alfo when a tamine is toward ; in regard wherof, they feeke 

 for food into farrccountres: in iiich fort, as their commingiscver holdenfor a plugtis of the 

 gods, proceeding from their heavie wrath and difpleafure. For then commonly they are biggec 

 robe feenCjthan at oxher times: and in their flight they keepc fucha noifewich their wings/ 

 that men take them for fome ftraungc foulcs. Thcyfhadeanddarkenchevery Sunneas they 

 flie, like unto a great clo wd : infomuch, as the people of every couhtry behold them with mucfs 

 fearCjlcaft they iliould light in their territoric,and over-lpread the whole comitrcy. And vefily 

 P their ftrength is fuch, thatthey hold out ftill in their flight : and as if they had not enough of 

 it to have flowne over leas, they give not over to traveifc mightie great countries in the conti- 

 nent. Andlookcin what place foever they fettle, they cover Whole fields of come with a fear- 

 full and terrible clowd ; much they burn with their very blafl:,and no part isfree but they eat and 

 gnaw even the very dorcsof mens dwelling houfes.Many a time they have been knowne to take 



F f ij their 



