NATURAL HISTORY. “148 
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buzzing on the furface of the earth, immediately after rain, when the 
fun thines: they are remarkable for the manner of making their nefts, 
which are built with the leaves of trees, which they make of a round 
figure with their teeth, in fuch a manner, that of two leaves they form 
a fort of bafket, by laying them one upon another, taking care that 
there be a hollow fpace between them, in which they conceal themfelves, | 
and lay their eggs. 
And now we are fpeaking of the e/t Indies, this may be as proper 
a place as any, to take notice of the Hornet-Flie, which is not unlike 
a Flying flag, a Flie fo called, with branched horns like a flag: they 
have a black {mall head, covered with orange-coloured hair, as foft as 
filk: their eyes are round, as clear as cryftal, and the fize of fmall 
Peas ; and they are fo hard, that there is no breaking them, without 
the help of a hammer: this fmall head terminates in the fhape of a 
horn, turned up, and armed with four teeth, like the nippers of a cray- 
fith: this horn. is black, as hard and as well polifhed as jet, and about’ 
two inches in length. But the mott remarkable thing of all, is its ha- 
ving a joint above the eyes, which has a motion; for the head is cover- 
ed with a fort of helmet from the head to the wings, where it termi- 
ates in another horn, three or four inches long, and bending down- 
wards, reaches the joint of the other, and makes a fort of nippers like 
““thofe of a cray-fifh: this horn is of the fame fubftance as the firft, ex- 
cept its being bordered with a fhort hair, as foft as velvet: they can 
lift up, or let down the helmet at pleafure ; but it is obferveable, that 
the males only wear them. 
There are two other forts of Flies at Martinico, the firft of which is 
horned like the former, only the two horns are of an equal fize, and 
placed on each fide the head, though they meet together like nippersy 
when the infeét pleafes: thefe are probably their feelers: the other fpe- 
€ies is only an inch and a half long, and one broad, and the upper part 
of their wings are hard, and of a grey colour, only they are flriped 
’ with filver rays. : 
The Walking- Leaf is an infe&t brought from the Spanifh Weft Indies, 
and has a very flat body, of a reddih colour, like that of certain dry 
leaves ; that is at fome times of the year, for at firft it is green. It 
is produced from a green egg, as big as a coriander feed, from which in 
a few days proceeds a little black infedt, like an Ant when juft hatched: 
the wings are at firf like.a green leaf, and have fibres run along it, 
from the inward edges to the outward, much like thofe of many leaves, 
and they branch into fubdivifions, as they come’nearer the edge. On 
the fore part of the body there are four other fmall. wings, which 
though they differ among themfelves, each pair being of a different 
fhape, yet they exa@ly refemble fome fort of leaves: the larger wings 
being fhut, it exactly refembles a leaf, which has been the reafon why 
‘it is called the Walking Leaf: the eyes are {mall and prominent, and 
the mouth is forked; the head is round, and about the neck there is 
the refemblance of a ring, of the fame colour with the body. Behind 
this the neck eniarges again, infomuch that it looks almoft like another 
head, but larger. its above three inches long, and an inch and a 
half broad. But to return to the Gnats. 
Some place the Tipula among the Gnats, but improperly, though 
they cannot be diftinguifhed from each other, without the affiftance of 
a 
