402 plint's natueal history. [Book XXIX. 
being destitute of wings, and the bite of which causes a 
wasting away of the system. The myrmecion^^ in the head 
resembles the ant, has ^ biack body spotted with white, and 
causes by its bite a pain like that attendant upon the sting of 
the wasp. Of the tetragnathius^^ there are two varieties, the 
more noxious of which has two white streaks crossing each 
other on the middle of the head ; its bite causes the mouth 
to swell. The other one is of an ashy colour, whitish on the 
posterior part of the body, and not so ready to bite. 
The least noxious of all is the spider that is seen extending 
its web along the walls, and lying in wait for flies ; it is of the 
same ashy colour as the last. 
JFor the bite of all spiders, the best remedies are : a cock's 
brains, taken in oxycrate with a little pepper ; five ants, swal- 
lowed in drink ; sheep's dung, applied in vinegar ; and spiders 
of any kind, left to putrefy in oil. The bite of the shrew- 
mouse is cured by taking lamb's rennet in wine ; the ashes of a 
ram's foot with honey ; or a young weasel, prepared in manner 
already^* mentioned by us when speaking of serpents. In 
cases where a shrewmouse has bitten beasts of burden, a mouse, 
fresh caught, is applied to the wound with oil, or a bat's gall 
with vinegar. The shrew-mouse itself too, split asunder and 
applied to the wound, is a cure for its bite ; indeed, if the 
animal is with young when the injury is inflicted, it will 
instantly burst asunder. The best plan is to apply the mouse 
itself which has inflicted the bite, but others are commonly 
kept for this purpose, either steeped in oil or coated with clay. 
Another remedy, again, for its bite is the earth taken from the 
rut made by a cart-wheel ; for this animal, it is said, owing 
to a certain torpor which is natural to it, will never cross^^ 
a rut made by a wheel. 
CHAP. 28. EEMEDIES DEEIVED PROM THE STELLIO OR SPOTTED 
LIZARD. 
The stellio, in its turn, is said to have the greatest antipathy 
to the scorpion so much so indeed, that the very sight of it 
strikes terror in that reptile, and a torpor attended with cold 
sweats ; hence it is that this lizard is left to putrefy in oil, as 
^2 From fAvpfiij^^ "an ant.** The "four-jawed'* spider. 
^ In c. 16 of this Book. gee B. viii. e. 83. 
^ See B. xix. c. 22. For further particulars as to the Stellio, see B. xi. 
4J. 31, and the Note. 
