ONXSCUS 
574 
her womb, and fwim around with alcrtnefs and anima- 
tion. 
All this while, the male, it is faid, continues fixed 
upon his female, not for the purpofe of fecundation, but 
of affifling her to call her flough ; a good office ; in which 
he is not fuccefsful till he has exerted the whole of his 
ltrength. 
On her firft appearance after leaving her coat, the 
female is entirely white ; her Sough, of a deep alh-co- 
lour, is left floating upon the furface, and fo entire, that 
you would imagine it to be the real animal. This tranf- 
formation being completed, the male leaves his female, 
and unaffifled undergoes a fimilar change. 
Onifcus domefiica. This infeft inhabits damp houfes 
and walls, and mud have been feen by every perfon. 
The upper part of the body is dark, brown, the belly 
grey. Two varieties of this animal are found in the 
fields, having each, like it, the body divided into ten 
fegments, exclufive of the head and tail. The latter 
part terminates in two appendices *. The land omfei 
are all fuppofed to be oviparous, while the aquatic pro- 
duce living young. For fome time after being excluded 
from the flu ll, the former are often of a pale red colour. 
The domefiic onifeus is gathered for medicinal pur- 
pofes f . 
* Charleton Eaercit. 54. t vide Barbut, P- 3 
