ARGULUS. 
243 
well as size, he concludes that they were distinct species. 
The one he calls the “ Louse of the Carp/' the other, the 
4 e Louse of the Banstickle or Prickleback.” Long previous 
to this, however, Leonard Baldner, an intelligent fisher- 
man belonging to Strasbourg, had noticed a species of 
Argulus infesting the fishes in the neighbourhood of that 
town. 
In a manuscript, which bears the date of 1666, entitled 
44 a description of the birds, fishes, and insects, found in 
the neighbourhood of Strasbourg,” written in German, a 
copy of which is now in the Library of the University 
there, he speaks of this little creature under the name of 
44 Pou de poissons.” Hermann informs us that his father 
had consulted the original manuscript written by Baldner 
himself ; and which appears, from the account given of it 
by Herissant, in the 4 Bihliotheque physique de la Prance/ 
No. 1180, to have been presented to M. Spielmann, Pro- 
fessor of Medicine in Strasbourg, by the relatives of Baldner, 
citizens of that town. It was very difficult to be read, 
but it contained many excellent observations. Several 
copies, written by different and more legible hands, seem 
to have existed, for Mr. Willughby must have had one, 
as he quotes from it repeatedly in his works on Birds and 
Pishes ; and another copy exists at Mayence. M. Her- 
mann thought so highly of it, that it was at one time his 
intention to have published it, but his death prevented 
this design being carried into execution. Prisch, in his 
4 Insecten in Deutschland/ tom. vi, published in 1740, 
gives a very imperfect figure of an Argulus, and describes 
it shortly under the name of 44 Pisch-laus.” Loefling, in 
the 4 Act. Soc. reg. Scient. Upsal/ 1751, describes the 
same animal at greater length, under the name of 44 Mo- 
noculus cauda foliacea plana;” but though he has entered 
more minutely into the details of its organization than his 
predecessors, his accompanying figures are very indif- 
ferent. 44 It is found,” he says, 44 upon the Pike and 
Perch, and is called by the natives of Sweden, where his 
specimens were taken, the Abhor -lus and Gadd-lus .” 
