Micrographia Part 20

Observ. XLVIII. _Of the hunting _Spider_, and several other sorts of _Spiders_._

The hunting Spider is a small grey Spider, prettily bespeck'd with black spots all over its body, which the _Microscope_ discovers to be a kind of feathers like those on b.u.t.terflies wings, or the body of the white Moth I lately describ'd. Its gate is very nimble by fits, sometimes running, and sometimes leaping, like a Grashopper almost, then standing still, and setting it self on its hinder leggs, it will very nimbly turn its body, and look round it self every way: It has six very conspicuous eyes, two looking directly forwards, plac'd just before; two other, on either side of those, looking forward and side-ways; and two other about the middle of the top of its back or head, which look backwards and side-wards; these seem'd to be the biggest. The surface of them all was very black, sphaerical, purely polish'd, reflecting a very cleer and distinct Image of all the ambient objects, such as a window, a man's hand, a white Paper, or the like. Some other properties of this Spider, observ'd by the most accomplish'd Mr.

_Evelyn_, in his travels in _Italy_, are most emphatically set forth in the History hereunto annexed, which he was pleas'd upon my desire to send me in writing.

Of all the sorts of Insects, there is none has afforded me more divertis.e.m.e.nts then the _Venatores_, which are a sort of _Lupi_, that have their Denns in the rugged walls, and crevices of our houses; a small brown and delicately spotted kind of Spiders, whose hinder leggs are longer then the rest.

Such I did frequently observe at _Rome_, which espying a Fly at three or four yards distance, upon the Balcony (where I stood) would not make directly to her, but craul under the Rail, till being arriv'd to the _Antipodes_, it would steal up, seldom missing its aim; but if it chanced to want any thing of being perfectly opposite, would at first peep, immediatly slide down again, till taking better notice, it would come the next time exactly upon the Fly's back: But, if this hapn'd not to be within a competent leap, then would this Insect move so softly, as the very shadow of the Gnomon seem'd not to be more imperceptible, unless the Fly mov'd; and then would the Spider move also in the same proportion, keeping that just time with her motion, as if the same Soul had animated both those little bodies; and whether it were forwards, backwards, or to either side, without at all turning her body, like a well mannag'd Horse: But, if the capricious Fly took wing, and pitch'd upon another place behind our Huntress, then would the Spider whirle its body so nimbly about, as nothing could be imagin'd more swift; by which means, she always kept the head towards her prey, though to appearance, as immovable, as if it had been a Nail driven into the Wood, till by that indiscernable progress (being arriv'd within the sphere of her reach) she made a fatal leap (swift as Lightning) upon the Fly, catching him in the pole, where she never quitted hold till her belly was full, and then carried the remainder home. I have beheld them instructing their young ones, how to hunt, which they would sometimes discipline for not well observing; but, when any of the old ones did (as sometimes) miss a leap, they would run out of the field, and hide them in their crannies, as asham'd, and haply not be seen abroad for four or five hours after; for so long have I watched the nature of this strange Insect, the contemplation of whose so wonderfull sagacity and address has amaz'd me; nor do I find in any chase whatsoever, more cunning and Stratagem observ'd: I have found some of these Spiders in my Garden, when the weather (towards the Spring) is very hot, but they are nothing so eager of hunting as they are in _Italy_.

There are mult.i.tudes of other sorts of Spiders, whose eyes, and most other parts and properties, are so exceedingly different both from those I have describ'd, and from one another, that it would be almost endless, at least too long for my present Essay, to describe them, as some with six eyes, plac'd in quite another order; others with eight eyes; others with fewer, and some with more. They all seem to be creatures of prey, and to feed on other small Insects, but their ways of catching them seem very differing: the Shepherd Spider by running on his prey; the Hunting Spider by leaping on it, other sorts weave Nets, or Cobwebs, whereby they ensnare them, Nature having both fitted them with materials and tools, and taught them how to work and weave their Nets, and to lie perdue, and to watch diligently to run on any Fly, as soon as ever entangled.

Their thread or web seems to be spun out of some viscous kind of excrement, lying in their belly, which, though soft when drawn out, is, presently by reason of its smallness, hardned and dried by the ambient Air. Examining several of which with my _Microscope_, I found them to appear much like white Hors-hair, or some such transparent h.o.r.n.y substance, and to be of very differing magnitudes; some appearing as bigg as a Pigg's brisle, others equal to a Horss-hair; other no bigger then a man's hair; others yet smaller and finer. I observ'd further, that the radiating chords of the web were much bigger, and smoother then those that were woven round, which seem'd smaller, and all over knotted or pearl'd, with small transparent Globules, not unlike small Crystal Beads or seed Pearls, thin strung on a Clew of Silk; which, whether they were so spun by the Spider, or by the advent.i.tious moisture of a fogg (which I have observ'd to cover all these filaments with such Crystalline Beads) I will not now dispute.

These threads were some of them so small, that I could very plainly, with the _Microscope_, discover the same consecutions of colours as in a _Prisme_, and they seem'd to proceed from the same cause with those colours which I have already describ'd in thin plated bodies.

Much resembling a Cobweb, or a confus'd lock of these Cylinders, is a certain white substance which, after a fogg, may be observ'd to fly up and down the Air; catching several of these, and examining them with my _Microscope_, I found them to be much of the same form, looking most like to a flake of Worsted prepar'd to be spun, though by what means they should be generated, or produc'd, is not easily imagined: they were of the same weight, or very little heavier then the Air; and 'tis not unlikely, but that those great white clouds, that appear all the Summer time, may be of the same substance.

Observ. XLIX. _Of an _Ant_ or _Pismire_._

This was a creature, more troublesom to be drawn, then any of the rest, for I could not, for a good while, think of a way to make it suffer its body to ly quiet in a natural posture; but whil'st it was alive, if its feet were fetter'd in Wax or Glew, it would so twist and wind its body, that I could not any wayes get a good view of it; and if I killed it, its body was so little, that I did often spoile the shape of it, before I could throughly view it: for this is the nature of these minute Bodies, that as soon, almost, as ever their life is destroy'd, their parts immediately shrivel, and lose their beauty; and so is it also with small Plants, as I instanced before, in the description of Moss. And thence also is the reason of the variations in the beards of wild Oats, and in those of Musk-gra.s.s seed, that their bodies, being exceeding small, those small variations which are made in the surfaces of all bodies, almost upon every change of Air, especially if the body be porous, do here become sensible, where the whole body is so small, that it is almost nothing but surface; for as in vegetable substances, I see no great reason to think, that the moisture of the Aire (that, sticking to a wreath'd beard, does make it untwist) should evaporate, or exhale away, any faster then the moisture of other bodies, but rather that the avolation from, or access of moisture to, the surfaces of bodies being much the same, those bodies become most sensible of it, which have the least proportion of body to their surface. So is it also with Animal substances; the dead body of an Ant, or such little creature, does almost instantly shrivel and dry, and your object shall be quite another thing, before you can half delineate it, which proceeds not from the extraordinary exhalation, but from the small proportion of body and juices, to the usual drying of bodies in the Air, especially if warm. For which inconvenience, where I could not otherwise remove it, I thought of this expedient.

I took the creature, I had design'd to delineate, and put it into a drop of very well rectified spirit of Wine, this I found would presently dispatch, as it were, the Animal, and being taken out of it, and lay'd on a paper, the spirit of Wine would immediately fly away, and leave the Animal dry, in its natural posture, or at least, in a const.i.tution, that it might easily with a pin be plac'd, in what posture you desired to draw it, and the limbs would so remain, without either moving, or shriveling. And thus I dealt with this Ant, which I have here delineated, which was one of many, of a very large kind, that inhabited under the Roots of a Tree, from whence they would sally out in great parties, and make most grievous havock of the Flowers and Fruits, in the ambient Garden, and return back again very expertly, by the same wayes and paths they went.

It was more then half the bigness of an Earwig, of a dark brown, or reddish colour, with long legs, on the hinder of which it would stand up, and raise its head as high as it could above the ground, that it might stare the further about it, just after the same manner as I have also observ'd a hunting Spider to do: and putting my finger towards them, they have at first all run towards it, till almost at it; and then they would stand round about it, at a certain distance, and smell, as it were, and consider whether they should any of them venture any further, till one more bold then the rest venturing to climb it, all the rest, if I would have suffered them, would have immediately followed: many such other seemingly rational actions I have observ'd in this little Vermine with much pleasure, which would be too long to be here related; those that desire more of them may satisfie their curiosity in _Ligons_ History of the _Barbadoes_.

Having insnar'd several of these into a small Box, I made choice of the tallest grown among them, and separating it from the rest, I gave it a Gill of Brandy, or Spirit of Wine, which after a while e'en knock'd him down dead drunk, so that he became moveless, though at first putting in he struggled for a pretty while very much, till at last, certain bubbles issuing out of its mouth, it ceased to move; this (because I had before found them quickly to recover again, if they were taken out presently) I suffered to lye above an hour in the Spirit; and after I had taken it out, and put its body and legs into a natural posture, remained moveless about an hour; but then, upon a sudden, as if it had been awaken out of a drunken sleep, it suddenly reviv'd and ran away; being caught, and serv'd as before, he for a while continued struggling and striving, till at last there issued several bubbles out of its mouth, and then, _tanquam animam expira.s.set_, he remained moveless for a good while; but at length again recovering, it was again redipt, and suffered to lye some hours in the Spirit; notwithstanding which, after it had layen dry some three or four hours, it again recovered life and motion: Which kind of Experiments, if prosecuted, which they highly deserve, seem to me of no inconsiderable use towards the invention of the _Latent Scheme_, (as the n.o.ble _Verulam_ calls it) or the hidden, unknown Texture of Bodies.

Of what Figure this Creature appear'd through the _Microscope_, the 32.

_Scheme_ (though not so carefully graven as it ought) will represent to the eye, namely, That it had a large head AA, at the upper end of which were two protuberant eyes, pearl'd like those of a Fly, but smaller BB; out of the Nose, or foremost part, issued two horns CC, of a shape sufficiently differing from those of a blew Fly, though indeed they seem to be both the same kind of Organ, and to serve for a kind of smelling; beyond these were two indented jaws DD, which he open'd side-wayes, and was able to gape them asunder very wide; and the ends of them being armed with teeth, which meeting went between each other, it was able to grasp and hold a heavy body, three or four times the bulk and weight of its own body: It had only six legs, shap'd like those of a Fly, which, as I shewed before, is an Argument that it is a winged Insect, and though I could not perceive any sign of them in the middle part of its body (which seem'd to consist of three joints or pieces EFG, out of which sprung two legs), yet 'tis known that there are of them that have long wings, and fly up and down in the air.

The third and last part of its body III was bigger and larger then the other two, unto which it was joyn'd by a very small middle, and had a kind of loose sh.e.l.l, or another distinct part of its body H, which seem'd to be interpos'd, and to keep the _thorax_ and belly from touching.

The whole body was cas'd over with a very strong armour, and the belly III was covered likewise with mult.i.tudes of small white s.h.i.+ning brisles; the legs, horns, head, and middle parts of its body were bestuck with hairs also, but smaller and darker.

Observ. L. _Of the wandring _Mite_._

In _September_ and _October, 1661._ I observ'd in _Oxford_ several of these little pretty Creatures to wander to and fro, and often to travel over the plains of my Window. And in _September_ and _October, 1663._ I observ'd likewise several of these very same Creatures traversing a window at _London_, and looking without the window upon the subjacent wall, I found whole flocks of the same kind running to and fro among the small groves and thickets of green moss, and upon the curiously spreading vegetable blew or yellow moss, which is a kind of a Mushrome or Jews-ear.

These Creatures to the naked eye seemed to be a kind of black Mite, but much nimbler and stronger then the ordinary Cheese-Mites; but examining them in a _Microscope_, I found them to be a very fine crusted or sh.e.l.l'd Insect, much like that represented in the first Figure of the three and thirtieth _Scheme_, with a protuberant oval sh.e.l.l A, indented or pitted with an abundance of small pits, all covered over with little white brisles, whose points all directed backwards.

It had eight legs, each of them provided with a very sharp tallon, or claw at the end, which this little Animal, in its going, fastned into the pores of the body over which it went. Each of these legs were bestuck in every joynt of them with mult.i.tudes of small hairs, or (if we respect the proportion they bore to the bigness of the leg) turnpikes, all pointing towards the claws.

The _Thorax_, or middle parts of the body of this Creature, was exceeding small, in respect both of the head and belly, it being nothing but that part which was covered by the two sh.e.l.ls BB, though it seem'd to grow thicker underneath: And indeed, if we consider the great variety Nature uses in proportioning the three parts of the body, (the _Head_, _Thorax_, and _Belly_) we shall not wonder at the small proportion of this _Thorax_, nor at the vaster bulk of the belly, for could we exactly anatomise this little Creature, and observe the particular designs of each part, we should doubtless, as we do in all her more manageable and tractable fabricks, find much more reason to admire the excellency of her contrivance and workmans.h.i.+p, then to wonder, it was not made otherwise.

The head of this little Insect was shap'd somewhat like a Mite's, that is, it had a long snout, in the manner of a Hogs, with a k.n.o.bbed ridge running along the middle of it, which was bestuck on either side with many small brisles, all pointing forward, and two very large pikes or horns, which rose from the top of the head, just over each eye, and pointed forward also. It had two pretty large black eyes on either side of the head EE, from one of which I could see a very bright reflection of the window, which made me ghess, that the _Cornea_ of it was smooth, like those of bigger Insects. Its motion was pretty quick and strong, it being able very easily to tumble a stone or clod four times as big as its whole body.

At the same time and place, and divers times since, I have observed with my _Microscope_, another little Insect, which, though I have not annexed the picture of, may be worth noting, for its exceeding nimbleness as well as smalness; it was as small as a Mite, with a body deep and ridged, almost like a Flea; it had eight blood-red legs, not very long, but slender; and two horns or feelers before. Its motion was so exceeding quick, that I have often lost sight of one I have observed with my naked eye; and though, when it was not frighted, I was able to follow the motions of some with my _Microscope_; yet if it were never so little startled, it posted away with such speed, and turn'd and winded it self so quick, that I should presently lose sight of it.

When I first observ'd the former of these Insects, or Mites, I began to conjecture, that certainly I had found out the vagabond Parents of those Mites we find in Cheeses, Meal, Corn, Seeds, musty Barrels, musty Leather, &c. these little Creatures, wandring to and fro every whither, might perhaps, as they were invited hither and thither by the musty steams of several putrifying bodies, make their invasions upon those new and pleasing territories, and there spending the remainder of their life, which might be perhaps a day, or thereabouts, in very plentiful and riotous living, might leave their off-spring behind them, which by the change of the soil and Country they now inhabite, might be quite alter'd from the hew of their _primogenitors_, and, like _Mores_ translated into Northern _European_ Climates, after a little time, change both their skin and shape. And this seems yet more probable in these Insects, because that the soil or body they inhabit, seems to be almost half their parent, for it not only hatches and brings those little eggs, or seminal principles, to perfection, but seems to augment and nourish them also before they are hatch'd or shaped; for it is obvious enough to be observ'd, that the eggs of many other Insects, and particularly of Mites, are increas'd in bulk after they are laid out of the bodies of the Insects, and plump'd sometimes into many times their former bigness, so that the bodies they are laid in being, as it were, half their mothers, we shall not wonder that it should have such an active power to change their forms. We find by relations how much the _Negro_ Women do besmeer the of-spring of the _Spaniard_, bringing forth neither white-skinn'd nor black, but tawny hided _Mulattos_.

Now, though I propound this as probable, I have not yet been so farr certify'd by Observations as to conclude any thing, either positively or negatively, concerning it. Perhaps, some more lucky diligence may please the curious Inquirer with the discovery of this, to be a truth, which I now conjecture, and may thereby give him a satisfactory account of the cause of those creatures, whose original seems yet to obscure, and may give him cause to believe, that many other animate beings, that seem also to be the mere product of putrifaction, may be inn.o.bled with a Pedigree as ancient as the first creation, and farr exceed the greatest beings in their numerous Genealogies. But on the other side, if it should be found that these, or any other animate body, have no immediate similar Parent, I have in another place set down a conjectural _Hypothesis_ whereby those _Phaenomena_ may likely enough be solv'd, wherein the infinite wisdom and providence of the Creator is no less rare and wonderfull.

Observ. LI. _Of the _Crab-like_ Insect._

Reading one day in _Septemb._ I chanced to observe a very smal creature creep over the Book I was reading, very slowly; having a _Microscope_ by me, I observ'd it to be a creature of a very unusual form, and that not less notable; such as is describ'd in the second _Figure_ of the 33.

_Scheme_. It was about the bigness of a large Mite, or somewhat longer, it had ten legs, eight of which, AAAA, were topt with very sharp claws, and were those upon which he walk'd, seeming shap'd much like those of a Crab, which in many other things also this little creature resembled; for the two other claws, BB, which were the formost of all the ten, and seem'd to grow out of his head, like the horns of other Animals, were exactly form'd in the manner of Crabs or Lobsters claws, for they were shap'd and jointed much like those represented in the _Scheme_ and the ends of them were furnish'd with a pair of claws or pincers, CC, which this little animal did open and shut at pleasure: It seem'd to make use of those two horns or claws both for feelers and holders; for in its motion it carried these aloft extended before, moving them to and fro, just as a man blindfolded would do his hands when he is fearfull of running against a wall, and if I put a hair to it, it would readily take hold of it with these claws, and seem to hold it fast. Now, though these horns seem'd to serve him for two uses, namely, for feeling and holding; yet he seem'd neither blind, having two small black spots, DD, which by the make of them, and the bright reflection from them seem'd to be his eyes, nor did it want other hands, having another pair of claws, EE, very neer plac'd to its mouth, and seem'd adjoining to it.

The whole body was cased over with armour-sh.e.l.ls, as is usuall in all those kinds of _crustaceous_ creatures, especially about their bellies, and seem'd of three kinds, the head F seem'd cover'd with a kind of scaly sh.e.l.l, the _thorax_ with two smooth sh.e.l.ls, or Rings, GG, and the belly with eight k.n.o.bb'd ones. I could not certainly find whether it had under these last sh.e.l.ls any wings, but I suspect the contrary; for I have not found any wing'd Insect with eight leggs, two of those leggs being always converted into wings, and, for the most part, those that have but six, have wings.

This creature, though I could never meet with more then one of them, and so could not make so many examinations of it as otherwise I would, I did notwithstanding, by reason of the great curiosity that appear'd to me in its shape, delineate it, to shew that, in all likelihood, Nature had crouded together into this very minute Insect, as many, and as excellent contrivances, as into the body of a very large Crab, which exceeds it in bulk, perhaps, some Millions of times; for as to all the apparent parts, there is a greater rather then a less multiplicity of parts, each legg has as many parts, and as many joints as a Crabs, nay, and as many hairs or brisles; and the like may be in all the other visible parts; and 'tis very likely, that the internal curiosities are not less excellent: It being a general rule in Nature's proceedings, that where she begins to display any excellency, if the subject be further search'd into, it will manifest, that there is not less curiosity in those parts which our single eye cannot reach, then in those which are more obvious.

Observ. LII. _Of the small Silver-colour'd _Book-worm_._

As among greater Animals there are many that are scaled, both for ornament and defence, so are there not wanting such also among the lesser bodies of Insects, whereof this little creature gives us an Instance. It is a small white Silver-s.h.i.+ning Worm or Moth, which I found much conversant among Books and Papers, and is suppos'd to be that which corrodes and eats holes through the leaves and covers; it appears to the naked eye, a small glittering Pearl-colour'd Moth, which upon the removing of Books and Papers in the Summer, is often observ'd very nimbly to scud, and pack away to some lurking cranney, where it may the better protect itself from any appearing dangers. Its head appears bigg and blunt, and its body tapers from it towads the tail, smaller and smaller, being shap'd almost like a Carret.

This the _Microscopical_ appearance will more plainly manifest, which exhibits, in the third _Figure_ of the 33. _Scheme_, a conical body, divided into fourteen several part.i.tions, being the appearance of so many several shels, or s.h.i.+elds that cover the whole body, every of these sh.e.l.ls are again cover'd or tiled over with a mult.i.tude of thin transparent scales, which, from the multiplicity of their reflecting surfaces, make the whole Animal appear of a perfect Pearl-colour.

Which, by the way, may hint us the reason of that so much admired appearance of those so highly esteem'd bodies, as also of the like in mother of Pearl-sh.e.l.ls, and in mult.i.tudes of other sh.e.l.ly Sea-substances; for they each of them consisting of an infinite number of very thin sh.e.l.ls or laminated orbiculations, cause such mult.i.tudes of reflections, that the compositions of them together with the reflections of others that are so thin as to afford colours (of which I elsewhere give the reason) gives a very pleasant reflection of light. And that this is the true cause, seems likely, first, because all those so appearing bodies are compounded of mult.i.tudes of plated substances. And next that, by ordering any trasparent substance after this manner, the like _Phaenomena_ may be produc'd; this will be made very obvious by the blowing of Gla.s.s into exceeding thin sh.e.l.ls, and then breaking them into scales, which any lamp-worker will presently do; for a good quant.i.ty of these scales, laid in a heap together, have much the same resemblance of Pearls. Another way, not less instructive and pleasant, is a way which I have several times done, which is by working and tossing, as 'twere, a parcel of pure crystalline gla.s.s whilst it is kept glowing hot in the blown flame of a Lamp, for, by that means, that purely transparent body will be so divided into an infinite number of plates, or small strings, with interpos'd aerial plates and _fibres_, that from the multiplicity of the reflections from each of those internal surfaces, it may be drawn out into curious Pearl-like or Silver wire, which though small, will yet be opacous; the same thing I have done with a composition of red _Colophon_ and _Turpentine_, and a little Bee's Wax, and may be done likewise with Birdlime, and such like glutinous and transparent bodies: But to return to our description.

The small blunt head of this Insect was furnish'd on either side of it with a cl.u.s.ter of eyes, each of which seem'd to contain but a very few, in comparison of what I had observ'd the cl.u.s.ters of other Insects to abound with; each of these cl.u.s.ters were beset with a row of small brisles, much like the _cilia_ or hairs on the eye-lids, and, perhaps, they serv'd for the same purpose. It had two long horns before, which were streight, and tapering towards the top, curiously ring'd or k.n.o.bb'd, and brisled much like the Marsh Weed, call'd Horse-tail, or Cats-tail, having at each knot a fring'd Girdle, as I may so call it, of smaller hairs, and several bigger and larger brisles, here and there dispers'd among them: besides these, it had two shorter horns, or feelers, which were knotted and fring'd, just as the former, but wanted brisles, and were blunt at the ends; the hinder part of the creature was terminated with three tails, in every particular resembling the two longer horns that grew out of the head: The leggs of it were scal'd and hair'd much like the rest, but are not express'd in this _Figure_, the Moth being intangled all in Glew, and so the leggs of this appear'd not through the Gla.s.s which looked perpendicularly upon the back.

This Animal probably feeds upon the Paper and covers of Books, and perforates in them several small round holes, finding, perhaps, a convenient nourishment in those hulks of Hemp and Flax, which have pa.s.s'd through so many scourings, was.h.i.+ngs, dressings and dryings, as the parts of old Paper must necessarily have suffer'd; the digestive faculty, it seems, of these little creatures being able yet further to work upon those stubborn parts, and reduce them into another form.

And indeed, when I consider what a heap of Saw-dust or chips this little creature (which is one of the teeth of Time) conveys into its intrals, I cannot chuse but remember and admire the excellent contrivance of Nature, in placing in Animals such a fire, as is continually nourished and supply'd by the materials convey'd into the stomach, and _fomented_ by the bellows of the lungs; and in so contriving the most admirable fabrick of Animals, as to make the very spending and wasting of that fire, to be instrumental to the procuring and collecting more materials to augment and cherish it self, which indeed seems to be the princ.i.p.al end of all the contrivances observable in bruit Animals.

Observ. LIII. _Of a _Flea_._

The strength and beauty of this small creature, had it no other relation at all to man, would deserve a description.

For its strength, the _Microscope_ is able to make no greater discoveries of it then the naked eye, but onely the curious contrivance of its leggs and joints, for the exerting that strength, is very plainly manifested, such as no other creature, I have yet observ'd, has any thing like it; for the joints of it are so adapted, that he can, as 'twere, fold them short one within another, and suddenly stretch, or spring them out to their whole length, that is, of the fore-leggs, the part A, of the 34. _Scheme_, lies within B, and B within C, parallel to, or side by side each other; but the parts of the two next, lie quite contrary, that is, D without E, and E without F, but parallel also; but the parts of the hinder leggs, G, H and I, bend one within another, like the parts of a double jointed Ruler, or like the foot, legg and thigh of a man; these six leggs he c.l.i.tches up altogether, and when he leaps, springs them all out, and thereby exerts his whole strength at once.

But, as for the beauty of it, the _Microscope_ manifests it to be all over adorn'd with a curiously polish'd suit of _sable_ Armour, neatly jointed, and beset with mult.i.tudes of sharp pinns, shap'd almost like Porcupine's Quills, or bright conical Steel-bodkins; the head is on either side beautify'd with a quick and round black eye K, behind each of which also appears a small cavity, L, in which he seems to move to and fro a certain thin film beset with many small transparent hairs, which probably may be his ears; in the forepart of his head, between the two fore-leggs, he has two small long jointed feelers, or rather smellers, MM, which have four joints, and are hairy, like those of several other creatures; between these, it has a small _proboscis_, or _probe_, NNO, that seems to consist of a tube NN, and a tongue or sucker O, which I have perceiv'd him to slip in and out. Besides these, it has also two chaps or biters PP, which are somewhat like those of an Ant, but I could not perceive them tooth'd; these were shap'd very like the blades of a pair of round top'd Scizers, and were opened and shut just after the same manner; with these Instruments does this little busie Creature bite and pierce the skin, and suck out the blood of an Animal, leaving the skin inflamed with a small round red spot. These parts are very difficult to be discovered, because, for the most part, they lye covered between the fore-legs. There are many other particulars, which, being more obvious, and affording no great matter of information, I shall pa.s.s by, and refer the Reader to the Figure.