MORTH AMERICA* 
3%3 
of feveral fpecies, and their numbers incredible^’ 
We travelled almoft from fun-rife to his fetting, 
amidft a flying hold of thefe perfecuting fpirits, who 
formed a vaft cloud around our caravan fo thick as 
to obfcure every diftant object ; but our van. always 
bore the brunt of the conflict ; the head, neck, and 
fhoulders of the leading horfes were continually in 
a gore of blood : fome of thefe flies were near as 
large as humble bees; this is the hippobofca They 
are armed with a ftrong fharp beak or probofcis, 
lhaped like a lancet, and fheathed in flexible thin 
valves; with this beak they inftantly pierce the 
veins of the creatures, making a large orifice from 
whence the blood fprings in large drops, rolling 
down as tears, caufing a fierce pain or aching for a 
confiderable time after the wound is made. There 
are three or four fpecies of this genus of lefs fize 
but equally vexatious, as they are vaftly more nu- 
merous, adtive and fanguineous ; particularly, one 
about half the fize of the firft mentioned, the next 
lefs, of a dufky colour with a green head ; another 
yet fomewhat lefs* of a fplendid green and the head 
of a gold colour ; the filing of this is intolerable, 
no lefs acute than a prick from a red-hot needle, or 
a fpark of fire on the fkin ; thefe are called the 
burning flies. Befldes the preceding tormentors, 
there are three or four fpecies of the afilus or fmaller 
biting flies ; one of a grayifh dufky colour ; ano- 
ther much of the fame colour, having fpotted wings, 
and a green head ; and another very fmall and 
1 perfectly black : this laft fpecies lies in ambufh in 
flirubby thickets and Cane brakes near water : 
whenever we^pproach the cool fhades near creeks, 
impatient for repofe and relief, almoft finking un- 
der the perfecutions from the evil fpirits, who con- 
tinually 
