LADY H IUI).

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Li Denmark the words used when sending awaya Ladybird at liberty are, " Fly, fly, our Lord's ownlien." In France ladybirds are regarded as sacred tothe Virgin, being called " Faches a .Dien," and " Betes deIn Fierge"; whilst our English little folk always takepity on the poor mother with a nursery rhyme :—

" Ladybird, Ladybird, fly away home,Thy house is on firo, thy children will burn."

" Parva rubens scaraboea donxum cito confugo pennislArdet enim domus boeo, ardebit parvula proles."

When captured it seeretes from its legs an acrid,yellow fluid, which has a disagreeable odour, butpossesses the property of curing a toothache, boweverviolent, from a hollow tooth. If the insect be placedalive in the cavity, ease will be presently obtained.Kirby says that a finger once imbued with the juicesof the Coccionella sepümpundala will retain its powerof curing the toothache for a twelvemonth.

A medicinal tincture is made from the cntire insectwhen crushed. The powder of its body is a deep purple,which serves to dye water, wine, or spirit of wine, beingnot inferior to sall'ron. J)r. Salmon in the New LondonDüpensatory describes, "The delicate little fly with hardred wings, and black spots thereon," as "a wonderfulcordial, sudorifick, alexipharmick, and antifebritick,curing all fevera how poysonous or malignant so ever,and thcrefore ofton given in the plague, spotted fever,smallpox, and the like with wonderful great success.The dose of it powdered is five grains to fifteen ortwenty grains."

" Its larva, a large, Hat worm, dirty grey in colour,is a deatructive creature, eating aphides," says Mr.Wood, "as ruthlesslv as Polyphemus impaled anddevoured the captured sailors." With this view,

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