A YOUNG NATURALIST. 



419 



" Any one must be as simple as a new-born infant to squat 

 on an ant-hill. This is the second time you have done it." 



Here the advice-giver was suddenly interrupted; he 

 made a face, lifted up one of his legs, and walked away 

 with long strides; then he sat down on the ground in or- 

 der to catch the ants which had secreted themselves under 

 his leathern shirt. I could not help laughing at him. 



" Look here, Gringalet's skin is all over lumps I" said 

 Lucien, stroking the animal. 



" They are caused by parasitic insects," said Sumichrast, 

 " called ticks. In future we must clear Gringalet every 

 evening of these inconvenient visitors." 



" But they won't come off." 



" Pull them suddenly ; their mouth is a kind of cfisk arm- 

 ed with two hooks, which, if once buried in an animal's 

 skin, are difficult to extract." 



"How hideous they look with their little legs placed 

 close to their heads ; here is one which is quite round, like 

 a pea." 



" It is because it has begun its meal." 

 " Does the tick only attack dogs ?" 



" The dog has his own peculiar species ; other kinds 

 lodge under birds' feathers, and some birds have two or 

 three sorts of parasites. There is one belonging to the 

 turkey, to the peacock, to the sparrow, to the vulture, to 

 the magpie, etc. I don't think there is a bird or animal 

 which does not, like Gringalet, possess its own peculiar 

 parasite." 



We had started off again, and another glade led us to- 

 wards a field extensively ploughed up by moles. 



Sumichrast led the way, and conducted us towards the 

 lake I had mentioned to him the day before. L'Encuerado 

 caught hold of my arm to call my attention to an enormous 

 animal moving about in the midst of the foliage. 



