140 NATURAL HISTORY. 
© HAP. xutL 
OF FLIES OF THE GNAT KIND, WHICH HAVE VERY SLENDER SNOUTS OF 
TRUNKS, LIKE THREADS. 5 
(From Brooxss.} 
HESE fort of Flies are much more troublefome in hot climatesa 
eB than with us, though in low marfhy places, our countrymet 
have fufficient reafon to complain of them; however their bite is not 
near fo painful as thofe of the Gnats between the 7, ropics: there is 
one fort in Peru, which are called Mufkitoes, that are fo fmall, they 
are almoft imperceptible, and yet their bite gives a fenfation, like the 
burning of hot iron. Other Mutkitoes are like our Gnats, and are of 
two forts, whofe bits are much more painful, and raife large bumps on 
the fkin: they are fo numerous, that they darken the air by their multi- 
“tude, infomuch, that thofe who travel in the woods are obliged to have 
@ cotton covering, or net, to keep them off, and the pooreit American 
is never without one. 
Pere du Tertre obferves, that in the Caribbee-Ifands, there are Flies, 
not unlike our common Gnats, and probably are the fame as thofe juk 
mentioned. Whenever they get to the fkin, they fuck out the blood, 
and are always bred in marthes and ftanding waters. At firft it is a 
{mall worm, not thicker than a hair, and of the length of a grain of corn. \ 
Atfter they are changed into Gnats, there are fuch vaft numbers of 
them, that they darken the air, efpecially in the morning, two hours 
before the rifing of the fun, and as Many after he is fet. When any 
one ftops, thefe little tyrants come buzzing about his ears in fuch 4. 
troublefome manner, that he often lofes all patience. If he wants to 
0 to fleep, they fix upon every part of his body that is uncovered, and 
thruft their fall fnouts, which are fo fine that they can hardly be feemy 
into the pores of the fkin, and as foon as they meet with a vein, they 
are fure to fuck out the blood, and if they are let alone, they will fwal- 
low fo much, that they can hardly fly after it: the original natives 0 
thefe iflands, make a fire under their beds, that the fmoke may drivé 
them away; and even fome of the Luropean inhabitants, that live 
in low grounds, and upon the edges of woods, are obliged to make 
ufe of a remedy, and even to fmoak their houfes with burnt tobacco. 
But the beft method to keep them off, is to hang cotton nets round the 
bed with fmall methes; for thefe fmall infe&s, having large wings, are 
not able to get through them. He alfo obferves, that fome Mut 
Kitoes are no larger than pin points, and yet they always leave purple 
marks on the fkin. However thefe are only met with on the banks © 
vivers, where the wind feldom or never blows. 
Tt will not be improper in this place, to take notice of fome othet 
Flies, common in the Weft-Indies, bat not known in Europe. One % 
thefe is an inch and a half long, and an inch broad: they are alfo fats 
and not much unlike Beetles: they have fuch hard and ftrong ae 
that they will gnaw and eat a pailage into the heart of the very harde 
wees, where they make their nefts. Another fort of Flie are only fees 
buzzing 
