9 
Equi. He went no farther than describing their general ap¬ 
pearance. 
Redi next took a more extended and particular notice of 
them, giving some details of their history.* 
At this early period of advancement in their knowledge 
crept in error, from a too loose and careless observation, and 
which was received and spread with its usual facility. Dr. 
Gaspari propagated a belief, that these flies, to get their larvae 
into the bodies of animals, entered by the fundament, and there 
deposited their eggs ; a thing that was utterly impossible, 
.without their wings being mutilated or destroyed in the act; 
and the account, though perfectly fabulous, was but too easily 
believed, and even by such naturalists as Vallisneri, Reaumur, 
and Linneus himself, who says of the Hcemorrhoidalis, “ Habi¬ 
tat in Equorum intestino recto, mire per anum intrans ” Syst. 
Nat. p.970. These wonderful accounts, though erroneous, 
might serve one useful purpose, by exciting the public curiosity 
the more, and lead by this to a farther research into theii 
true Habits and History. 
The first who took much pains in considering them was 
Vallisneri, an Italian Physician of Padua, and the pupil of the 
celebrated Malpighi. With great industry, perseverance, and a 
care truly philosophic, he succeeded in exposing a large share of 
their natural history ; he bred for the first time, atleast that we 
know of, the perfect Fly from the Grub, in the backs of oxen, 
and traced its transformations till it arrived at the winged 
state, though only one, and in a very mutilated state. His 
first Essay, however, was written upon the Bot of the Sheep, 
which inhabits the frontal and maxillary cavities of this ani¬ 
mal. He accompanied his account with coarse figures of them, 
both of the Larvae and perfect Insects, His Essay appears to 
# Iledi Francis Esperiraenti intorni agl Insetti, p. HO, 
C 
