hard, that he may make it enter the better. It must necessarily be hollow, that he may suck out the bloud, and carry it in. They seek for the most tender places, and will not attempt the harder places with their nibble; with two very small foreyards that spring out of their foreheads, they both prove their way, and judge of the nature of the object, and whether it be hard or soft: where they bite they leave a red spot as a Trophie of their force, which they set up. In rainy wea∣ther they bite sorely, and are bold to run over ever part of mans body. They have but one small intestine with folds inward, which is either relaxed or contracted as they eat more or lesse. The lesser, the leaner, and the younger they are, the sharper they bite, the fat ones play and tickle men more willingly. It is very probable that they have eyes, both because they choose their pla∣ces of retreat, and because they withdraw themselves when the day breaks. They will not sit upon corrupt or dead flesh. Those that have the Kings evil, because they are of bitter juice, and such as will die, because of the corruption and stink of the same, they will not meddle with. At all times they trouble men and Dogs, but chiefly in the night. Though they trouble us much, yet they neither stink as Wall-lice doe, nor is it any disgrace to a man to be troubled with them, as it is to be lowsie. They only punish sluggish people, for they will remove farre from cleanly hou∣ses: when they finde they are arraigned to die, and they feel the finger coming, on a sudden they are gone, and leap here and there, and so escape the danger: whilest those that hunt them en∣deavour to measure their jumps, as Aristophanes saith, they but play the fools. In the morning, after they have fed, they creep into the rough blankets, and stick to the walls, or else they hide themselves in the rushes or dust: and so they ly in ambush for Pigeons, Hens, and other Birds, al∣so for men and Dogs, Moles, Mice, and vex such as passe by. Our hunters report, that Foxes are full of them, and they tell a pretty story how they quit themselves of them. The Fox gathers some handfulls of wool from thorns and briars, and wrapping it up, he holds it fast in his mouth, then he goes by degrees into a cold River, and dipping himself in by little and little, when he finds that all the fleas are crept so high as his head for fear of drowning, and so for shelter crept into the wooll, he barks and spits out the wooll full of Fleas, and so very froliquely being delivered from their molestation, he swims to land.
Their first Originall is from dust, chiefly that which is moystned with mans or Goats urine. Also they breed amongst Dogs hair, from a fat humour putrefied, as Scaliger affirms. A little cor∣ruption will breed them, and the place of their originall is dry filth. Martyr the Author of the Decads of Navigation, writes, that in Perienna a Countrey of the Indies, the drops of sweat that fall from their slaves bodies will presently turn to fleas. Some Countreys are such enemies to Fleas, that if they be brought in thither they cannot live, nor will they breed there; as in the Territory Tefethor of Sigelunum. Contrarily the City Hea by the sea-side, (unlesse John Leo deceives us) is most fruitfull for Fleas, by reason of the abundance of Goats, as also Dede. In Hispaniola Fleas are found, but neither many, nor great ones, but they bite more fiercely by farre than ours doe: they love hot places, where the Sun shines. In the Spring they multiply, at the beginning of Winter they die, for they cannot endure the cold. They copulate, the male ascending upon the female as Flies doe, and they both goe, leap, and rest together. They stick long together, and are hardly pulled asunder. After copulation presently almost, the female full of Egges seems fatter; which though in her belly they seem long, very small, very many, and white, yet when they are layd, they turn presently black, and turn into littles Fleas, if we may grant what Pennius saith, that bite most cruelly. Philoponus in lib. de generat. maintains that Fleas breed not Egges but Nits, and Niphus saith the same: But they endeavouring to prove this because they crack when they are crusht, doth not confirm their opinion, for Egges will not break under the nail without cracking. Aristotle thinks, that from them, be they Egges, Nits, or little Worms, no other Crea∣ture breeds, and I should willingly subscribe to him, but that I think Nature made nothing in vain. Those Fleas seem to be more rare that India produceth neer the River Nigua, as we learn from Thevet. They chiefly seize upon the softest parts of the feet under the nails, and bite ve∣nomously. After four dayes they raise a swelling as great as a pease, or a Chich pease, and young ones like to white Nits; and if all these be not forthwith picked out, and the place affected bur∣ned with hot ashes, the part will be lost, as it falls out often with the Slaves in Numidia. He also in the Province of Peru was subject to this mischief, and could not recover but by washing him∣self in the River very often.
Cardan writes of a little Flea. The West-Indies, saith he, brings forth a kinde of Flea called Ni∣gua, a very shrewd plague. This creature is far lesse then a Flea, that sticking to a man will so torture him, that some lose their hands, others their feet. The remedy is, to anoynt the part with Oyl, and shave it with a Rasor: To whom Scaliger answers thus. Thy story of Nigua is lame, yet not unprofitable if you consider Philologie: I shall adde what you have omitted.
This little Flea hath a most sharp nib, and invades chiefly the feet, (seldome other parts) not only when men goe, but lye down also. Therefore the Indians lie high. Most frequently they bite that part which is under the nails. The fourth day the swelling begins to increase, and grows to the bignesse of a great pease. This swelling is full of young Nits; they pick out these, and lay on hot ashes. Benzo seems to say the same. The Indians are mightily troubled with venomous In∣sects. Amongst the rest the Niguae about the bignesse of a Flea, insensibly creep in between the flesh and the nails especially, and they are bred in the dust. It falls out ost times that no pain is felt by them, till they grow as great as Chich peasen or Lentils; and then with a wonderfull