INDIEECT INJUKIES CAUSED BY INSECTS. 



129 



skin of the animal, and that the hot, when it appears, eats its 

 way through it ' : there can be little doubt (or else what is the 

 use of such an apparatus ?) that it bores a hole in the skin 

 and there deposits the eggs. About the beginning of July 

 the rein-deer sheds its hair, which then stands erect — at this 

 time the fly is always fluttering about it, and takes its 

 opportunity to oviposit. The bots remain under the skin 

 through the whole winter, and grow to the size of an acorn. 

 Six or eight of these are often to be found in a single rein- 

 deer that has only seen one winter ; and these so emaciate 

 them, that frequently one third of their number perish in 

 consequence. Even those that are full-grown suffer greatly 

 from this insect. The fly follows the animals over precipices, 

 valleys, the snow- covered mountains, and even the highest 

 alps ; to which, in order to avoid it, they often fly with great 

 swiftness in a direction contrary to the wind. By this 

 constant agitation and endeavour to escape from the attack 

 of their enemy they are kept from eating during the day, 

 standing always upon the watch, with erect ears and at- 

 tentive eyes, that they may observe whether it comes near 

 them.^ The rein-deer are teased also by a peculiar species 

 of Tabanus ( T. tarandinus), which, by a singular instinct, 

 instead of their skin, makes its incision in their horns when 

 tender. 



Our dogs, the faithful guardians of our other domestic 

 animals and possessions, the attached companions of our 

 walks, and instruments of many of our pleasures and amuse- 

 ments, cannot defend themselves from insect annoyance. 

 They have their peculiar louse, and the flea sucks their blood 

 in common with that of their master : you must also often 

 have noticed how much they sufl'er from the dog-tick, which, 

 when once it has fixed itself in their flesh, will in a short 

 time, from the size of a pin's head, so swell itself out by 

 gorging their blood that it will equal in dimensions what 

 is called the tick-bean. In the West Indies these ticks, or 

 one like them, get into the ears and head of the dogs, and so 



1 Flor. Lapp, 79. 

 VOL. I. 



2 Linn. Flor. Lapp. 379. 



K 



