por WATURAL HISTORY; — 5 193 
Cen Ale. XVIII. 
OF FLEAS, LICE, AND OTHER INSECTS. 
PHATE Flea is fo well known, that it hardly needs any defcription s 
however it may be obferved, that it has a rotindifh body, that 
?s blunt at the end, and a fmall head, with large eyes: the feelers aré 
fhort, and are compofed of four joints. When feen through a micros 
fcope, it appears to be all over adorned with a fuit of curioufly polifh- 
ed fable armour, neatly jointed, and befet with multitudes of tharp 
pins, almoft like Porcupine’s quills: the head on each fide, is beauti- 
fied with a quick, round, black eye, and it has fix legs, the joints of 
which are fo adapted, that it can, as ‘it were, fold thern up, one within 
another, and when it leaps, they all fpring out at once, whereby it 
exerts its whole ftrength. Between the feelers there is a fmall probe or 
fnout, and there are two jaws or hippers; fomewhat like thofe of antant. 
The young Fleas are firft a fort of nits or eggs, which are round 
and fmooth, and from thefe proceed white worms, of a fhining pearl 
colour. In a fortnight’s time, they come to a tolerable fize, and are 
very lively and adtive; but if they are touched at this time; they roll 
themfelves up into a fort of a ball. Soon after this, they begin to creep 
like Silk Worms that have no legs, and then they hide themfelves as 
much as poflible, fpinning a filken thread from theit mouths, where- 
with they form for themfelves a fmall round bag or cafe, as white within 
as writing paper, but dirty without. In this they continue for a fort- 
night, after which the infect burfts out; transformed into a perfect Flea. 
*The Lou/e, when viewed with a microfcope, is an infe&t of a very 
odd fhape, with a prominent head, and two black fhining goggle-eyes, 
looking backwards, and are placed where the ears ftand in other ani- 
mals, having feveral {mall hairs round about them. It has two horns 
where the eyes of moft infects are ufually feated, each of which confifts 
of four joints, which are ftringed as it were with fmall briftles: the 
head is very round and tapering, terminating in a very fharp fnout or 
“trunk, which has a hole, through which it fucks the blood. ° Tt has fix. 
legs, covered with very tranfparent fhells, and jointed exaétly like thofe 
of crabs, each being divided into fix parts by thefe joints, and have 
here and there feveral {mall hairs. Atthe end of each leg, there are 
two claws, by which it is enabled to lay hold of the hairs on which it 
climbs: the belly is alfo covered with a tranfparent fubftance, and is 
rained all over, juft like the fkin of a man’s hand. 
Some have affirmed that a Loufe will not live within the torrid zone, 
but this is a great miftake, for the Negroes that live in that climate, 
though they are almoft naked, are generally full of them. One reafon 
of which may be for want of combing their woolly hair, which cannot 
eafily be done, it being fo entangled together. Thofe in the We/t-Ln:tiesy 
make ufe of a fort of oil, with which they kill them, for otherwife they 
would be almoft eaten up alive. However the white inhabitants in thofe 
parts, are not much troubled with them, on account of their changing 
their linen frequently ; befides it is thought their plentiful fweats kul 
them. : 
B b : The. 
