them, affuages the pain and cures them; and this is the reafon, why it is an ingredient in plaisters. It foftens corns on the feet, fo that they are easily taken out. For this end, it is mixed with turpentine, in which has been put a portion of bruised verdigrease; of this is made a plaister to be applied to the corn.

Crickets are used to fortify weak fight, the liquid fubftance being expreffed and put into the eyes. They likewise foften the glands, when the same substance is rubbed on them. Common flies are emollient, abstergent, and make the hair grow, when, after being bruifed, they are applied to the bald part. The water diftilled from them, is good against diseases of the eyes. When used, it must be made into a plaifter with the yolk of an egg. Galen approves this remedy. It likewise makes the hair to grow, removes freckles, and restores hearing. One perfon, fure that no purgative could have produced the ef fect, fwallowed four or five gnats, and was effectually purged. It is likewife faid, that the red gnats, taken in infufion, are an excellent remedy against the falling fickness. Oil from the aphides was much efteemed formerly. Wafps have the fame qualities as millepieds; that is, they provoke urine, and bring away gravel. The spongy excrefcences, which are feen on wild rofes, are good against the gravel, but have that property, merely because they ferve as a neft to a fpecies of ichneumon. If, like tobacco, one fmokes the neft of wafps, it will appeafe the pain of the tooth-ach.

The other kind of infects with hard wing-cafes, are not lefs ufeful in medicine. The cochineal infects provoke urine, like the millepieds, because like them, they contain a deal of volatile falt. The powder of this infect, mixed with fugar, is alfo useful against the cholic, the ftone, and the meafles. Flying

Dd

itags

ftags are used against pain and tenfion of the nerves, and against the ague. Reduced to powder, they affift delivery. Infused in oil, they relieve pain in the ears. The powder of the dung beetle, spread on the vifcera, in a rupture, makes them go back. This infect, boiled in lintfeed oil, is good against the hæmorrhoids, and pains in the ear. Cotton is dipped in this oil, and applied warm to the part. Cockchafers are nearly of the fame nature with cantharides. Taken in powder, they promote the fecretion of urine and blood, cure the bite of a mad dog, and relieve the rheumatifin. Some perfons apply, externally, the juice of this infect to wounds. It is likewife put into plaifters, to be used against carbuncles and tumours. By infufing this animal alive in common oil, the liquor ferves the fame purpofe with oil of fcorpions.

Cantharides are rarely taken internally, but great ufe is made of them in external applications, in the form of blifters. They are ferviceable in head achs and megrim; in difeafes of the eyes, and in blindnefs, occafioned by mercury, or other remedies, that repell the humours; in finging of the ears, they are applied as blifters behind the ear: in deafnefs, caufed by external violence, in the falling fickness, in tooth-ach. Cantharides are alfo a good remedy in the sciatica, when applied to the caff of the leg; in intermittent, as well as in malignant fevers, but they are a remedy to be ufed with the greateft caution. The fmoke of locufts is good in retention of urine, particularly in women. Some hang them round the neck in agues. They provoke urine, diffolve the ftone, when eaten, or when taken in powder.

Ants likewife are much in ufe. They are warm, dry, and aphrodifiac, and their acid fmell wonderfully enlivens the vital fpirits. The large ants are a re

medy

medy against the tænia, the itch, and the leprofy. To ufe them, they must be diffolved with a little falt, and the diseased part anointed with the liquor, The fpirit of ants is an excellent remedy against diseases of the ear, fuch as deafnefs or ringing. Cotton dipt in this spirit is put in the ears. It fits alfo eafy on the ftomach. It fortifies all the fenfes and the memory. It re-animates the ftrength, and gives vigour. It is preferable to all forts of apoplectic and strengthening waters, particularly in the cure of catarrhs It is externally of great use in fprains, in apoplexy and in atrophy, caused by a wound. It is mixed with waters agreeable to the nerves, or with arthritic 1pirits. The eggs of ants are efficacious in deafnefs. If the cheeks of children are rubbed with them, the down falls off. The quantity of wind they excite, when a fingle dram of them is taken, is very remarkable. If an ant neft is boiled in water, and one washes in it, it dries, warms, and fortifies the nerves. Accordingly, it is used in the gout, paffy, diseases of the matrix, and cachexy. In the nefts of ants are found fmall bits of matter, having the fmell of amber or incense. These are formed by the infects from the refin of pines. In Norway and in Germany, they are ufed in perfumery.

CHA P. V.

OF THE USE OF INSECTS WITH RESPECT TO OTHER

ANIMALS.

I HAVE fufficiently proved, in the last chapter, that infects are useful to man. I fhall now fhew, that

they are no lefs beneficial to the other animals. They ferve them for food and phyfic: one infect even is used as food by others. Mr de Reaumur found, that fome caterpillars devoured one another. But, as he obferves, that they do not come to this extremity, till their proper food is withered, it is probable that these infects are driven to it by neceffity. Perhaps thofe infects were of a fpecies that require a deal of fluid for their fubfiftance. The minute pulices aquatici, which difcolour the furface of waters, ferve for food to the aquatic insects, which change into gnats. A moft admirable ordination of Providence!

Small as they are, the Author of Nature has created animals, fmall enough to be fwallowed whole by them. Of infects that live on land, fpiders devour flies, wafps deftroy bees, and grafshoppers ants. Serpents often make an excellent repaft of caterpillars, chafers, &c. There is a fpecies of snail, which devours the entrails of certain infects.

The avidity which fifhes discover for certain fpecies of infects, does not permit us to doubt, that they are to them a defirable food. The monftrous whale feeds on small sea infects. How astonishing is it that fuch food can fatisfy an animal of fuch enormous fize! In rivers, gnats are almost the only food of the fhad-fifh; and the pulices aquatici are the favourite food of the tench.

Infects it is well known are the most common food of a great number of birds which feed their young with them. This is therefore the reafon why the greater part breed only in the fpring, when there is plenty of caterpillars on the hedges and trees. Even thofe of them which when old eat grain or feeds, nevertheless nourish their young with infects, birds are naturally warm, therefore they must always have fomething to digeft. We cannot here ceafe to ad

mire the wisdom of the Creator who, that birds may not want nourishment, has created such a prodigious multitude of infects. This wisdom is particularly remarkable in this, that ants are of all infects the moft numerous, because no fpecies is fo much preyed upon by birds. Infects therefore may be said to be a fort of game after which birds are perpetually in chace. The wagtail and blackbird eat worms. Crows and ftarlings light upon fheep newly fhern, to feed on a fort of blue lice which are then vifible at some distance on their skin. Ducks diving under water, devour the pulices aquatici. The little tit-mouse and red-throat very dextrously catch flies on the wing, and thin the air of them. The woodcock and the fnipe feek for fmall worms in the marfhes. The large tom-tit will kill from ten to twelve bees, and tearing out the entrails and honey bag, convey them to its young. The eggs of the ant are the food of the young nightingales. Swallows live entirely on bees, and other infects which they carry to their brood. Woodpeckers feize with their tongues, the infects which live in holes of trees and in clefts in the bark. This nourifhment fattens many fpecies of birds. It is at least certain that poultry lay oftener, when they have an opportunity of feeding on beetles and earth worms.

I must here remark the wifdom and goodness of the Creator. While he has given to birds a defire for certain infects he has also beftowed on them the neceffary members and qualities for feizing them. Snipes, herons, and other water birds which are obliged to feek for infects under water, have their bills long enough for this purpose. Ducks which are obliged for the fame purpose to remove the mud have their bills broad. The wood-peckers which penetrate the bark of trees, have their bill hard, fharp, and fit for boring. The upper part of it is the moft

raised,