9 ^ Of the wandering Mite , 
' r , ! 
Of the wandering mite. 
T HESE creatures appear to the naked eye to be 
a kind of black mite, though much nimbler and 
ftronger than the cheefe mites, but on viewing them in 
the microfcope, they will be found to be a very fine 
cruftaceous infecft, like fig. 161. with a protuberant oval 
fhell indented with feveral fmall pits, covered all over 
with white briftles; they have eight legs, each of them 
furniftied with a fharp claw at the end. The thorax was 
covered by two fhells, its fnout taper with a, knobbed 
ridge e running along the middle of it; juft over each 
of its eyes arofe two very long and ftrong briftles, its 
eyes black and fmooth like thofe of bigger infedts. Thefe 
mites are to be met with on almoft any fubftance where 
they can get food. 
Another fort of mite as delineated by Dr. Hook, is 
reprefented in fig. 162, covered with a curioufly polifhed 
fhell, which refle&ed the light from all fides. 
Thefe creatures are very much diverfified in fhape and 
colour, and in feveral other circumftances, according to 
the nature of the fubftance out of which they feem to 
be fed f , being in one longer, in another rounder, in 
fome more hairy, in'others fmoother, in this nimble, in 
that flow, here pale .and whiter, there browner, blacker, 
or more tranfparent. They are to be met with almoft 
on all kinds of fubftances that are mouldy or putri- 
fyirig, in oatmeal, and in malt-duft; there are mites 
bred among figs s , in hay, and in the powder that falls 
off dried roots h . They are voracious animals, and devour 
» not 
e Hook’s Micro, p 206. f Ibid. p. 214. 
T^ranf, No. 333. h Power’s Micro. Obf. p. 18. 
s Phil, 
