and then flowly difengages itfelf, and extends its body 

 at full length. Sometimes it moves in the water with a 

 pretty quick undulating motion like that of a leech ; 

 and at other times in the flowed and mod languid man- 

 ner imaginable. Its popular name f Hair-Worm was 

 not given it from its form alone, but from an idea that 

 it was produced from the hair of horfes and other ani- 

 mals which had been call in the water: an opinion 

 which is not even yet extinct amongft the vulgar. A 

 remarkable cireumftance .relative to this animal is, that 

 its bite, which it fometimes inflicts on being taken out 

 of the water, has been known to produce the complaint 

 called a whitlow. This is mentioned by Linnaeus as a 

 popular idea in Sweden, and which had been confirmed 

 by the experience of a perfon of high reputation. I 

 can alfo add the teftimony of a gentleman of great ve- 

 racity, who allured me that on having incautioufly 

 taken a Gordius out of the water, he was bit by it on 

 the tip of his finger, and that in confequence of the 

 bite a whitlow foon took place. Whether however there 

 be really any thing peculiarly irritating in the bite of 

 this worm, or whether a fimilar puncture caufed by 

 any other means might not produce the fame effect, I 

 cannot take upon me to determine. 



It would be unpardonable on this fubject to omit 

 obferving that the complaint called the Guinea- Worm, 

 or Vena Medinenfis, which fometimes happens in the 

 warmer regions, is owing to a fpecies of Gordius, which 

 is faid to infinuate itfelf (probably when very fmall) un- 

 der the {kin ; where it grows to a great length ; is pro- 

 ductive of very troublefome fymptoms, and is extremely 

 difficult to extract. It is remarkable alfo that a fpecies 



of 



