and finful Men. And I am apt to think that the Nations which know not God, are the moft an noy'd with thofe noxious Reptiles, and other pernicious Creatures. As to the Animals themselves, their Poyfon is no doubt of fome great and espe cial Ufe to themselves, ferving to the more cafy Conqueft, and fure Capture of their Prey, which might otherwife be too refty and ftrong, and if once escap'd, would hardly be again recover'd, by Reafon of their fwifter Motion, and the Help of their Legs; befides all which, this their Poyfon may be probably of very great Ufe to the Dige

ftion of their Food.

And as to the innocuous Part of the ReptileKind, they as well deferve our Notice for their Harmlefnefs, as the others did for their Poyfon. For as thofe are endow'd with Poyfon, because they are predaceous; fo thefe need it not, because their Food is near at hand, and may be obtain'd without Strife and Conteft, the next Earth (k) affording Food to fuch as can terebrate, and make Way into it by their Vermicular Faculty; and the next Vegetable being Food to others that can climb and reach (1), or but crawl to it.

(k) That Earth-worms live upon Earth, is manifeft from the little curled Heaps of their Dung ejected out of their Holes. But in Philof. Tranfact. No. 291. I have faid, it is in all Probability Earth made of rotted Roots and Plants, and fuch like nutritive Things, not pure Earth. And there is farther Reafon for it, because Worms will drag the Leaves of Trees into their Holes.

-(1) Snails might be in Danger of wanting Food, if they were to live only upon fuch tender Plants as are near the Ground, within their Reach only; to impower them therefore to extend their Pursuits farther, they are enabled by the Means mentioned in Note (d), to ftick unto, and creep up. Walls and Vegetables at their Pleasure...;

С НА Р.

CHA P. II.*

Of the Inhabitants of the WATERS.

Have now gone through that Part of the AniImal World, which I propofed to furvey, the Animals inhabiting the Land.

As to the other Part of the Terraqucous Globe, the Waters, and the Inhabitants thereof, not having Time to finish what I have begun, on that large Subject, I fhall be forced to quit it for the prefent, altho' we have there as ample, and glorious a Scene of the Infinite Creator's Power and Art, as hath been already fet forth on the dry Land. For the Waters themfelves are an admirable Work of God (a), and of infinite Use (b) to

(a) Befides their abfolute Neceffity, and great Use to the World, there are feveral Topics, from whence the Waters. may be demonftrated to be God's Work; as, the creating fo wait a Part of our Globe; the placing it commodiously therein, and giving it Bounds; the Methods of keeping it sweet and clean, by its Saltnefs, by the Tides, and Agitations by the Winds; the making the Waters ufeful to the Vegetati on of Plants, and for Food to Animals, by the noble Methods of fweetning them; and many other Things befides, which are infifted on in that Part of my Survey.

(b) Pliny having named divers Mirabilia Aquarum, to fhew their Power; then proceeds to their Ufes, viz. Eadem cadentes omnium terrâ nafcentium causa fiunt, prorfus mirabili natura, fiquis velit reputare, ut fruges gignantur, arbores fruticefque vivant, in cœlum migrare aquas, animamque etiam herbis vitalem inde deferre: juftâ confeffione, omnes terra quoque vires aquarum effe beneficii. Quapropter, ante omnia ipfarum potentia exempla ponemus: Cunetas enim quis mortalium enumerare queat? And then he goes on with an, Enumeration of fome Waters famed for being medicinal, or fome other unufual Quality. Plin. L. 31. c. 1, 2.

that

that Part of the Globe already furveyed; and the prodigious Variety (c), and Multitudes of curious and wonderful Things obfervable in its Inhabitants of all Sorts, are an inexhaustible Scene of the Creator's Wisdom and Power. The vaft Bulk offome (d), and prodigious Minuteness of others (e), together with the incomparable Contrivance and Structure of the Bodies (f) of all; the Provifions and Supplies of Food afforded to fuch an innumerable Company of Eaters, and that in an Element, unlikely one would think, to afford any great Store of Supplies (g); the Business of Respiration per

(c) Pliny reckons 176 Kinds in the Waters, whofe Names may be met with in his L. 32. c. 11. but he is fhort in his Account.

(d) Pliny, L. 9. c. 3. faith, that in the Indian Sea there are Balena quaternûm jugerum (i. e. 960 Feet) Priftes 200 cubitorum (i. e. 300 Feet.) And L. 32. c. 1. he mentions Whales 600 Foot long, and 360 broad, that came into a River of Arabia. If the Reader hath a mind, he may fee his Reason why the largeft Animals are bred in the Sea, L. 9. c. 2.

(e) As the largeft, fo the moft minute Animals are bred in the Waters, as thofe in Pepper-water; and fuch as make the green Scum on the Waters, or make them feem as if green, and many others. See Book IV. Chap. 11. Note (n), (o).

(f) It might be here fhewn, that the Bodies. of all the feveral Inhabitants of the Waters are the best contrived and fuited to that Place and Bufinefs in the Waters, which is proper for them; that particularly their Bodies are cloathed and guarded, in the beft Manner, with Scales, or Shells, c. fuittable to the Place they are to refide in, the Dangers they may there be expofed unto, and the Motion and Business they are there to perform: That the Center of Gravity (of great Confideration in that fluid Element,) is always plac'd in the fittest Part of the Body: That the Shape of their Bodies, (efpecially the more fwift,) is the most commodious for making Way through the Waters, and moft agreeable to geometrical Rules; and many other Matters befides would deferve a Place here, were they not too long for Notes, and that I fhall anticipate what will be more proper for another Place, and more accurately treated of there.

(g) See before Book IV, Chap. 1I.

Dd

form'd

form'd in a Way fo different from, but equivalent to what is in Land Animals (b); the Adjustment of the Organs of Vifion (i) to that Element in which the Animal liveth; the Poise (k), the Support (D), the Motion of the Body (m), forwards with

(b) Galen was aware of the Refpiration of Fishes by their Branchia. For having faid, that Fishes have no Occafion of a Voice, neither refpire through the Mouth as Land Animals do, he faith, Sed earum, quas Branchias nuncupamus, conftructio, ipfis vice Pulmonis eft. Cùm enim crebris ac tenuibus foraminibus fint Branchia ha intercepta, aëri quidem & vapori perviis, fubtilioribus tamen quàm pro mole aqua; hanc quidem extra repellunt, illa autem prompte intromittunt. Gafen de Uf. Part. L. 6. c. 9. So alfo Pliny held, that Fishes refpired by their Gills; but he faith Ariftotle was of a different Opinion. Plin. L. 9. c. 7. And fo Ariftotle feems to be in his Hift. Animal. L. 8. c. 2. and in other Places. And I may add our famous Dr. Needham. See his De form. Fetu, Chap. 6. and Anfwer to Severinus.

(i) A protuberant Eye would have been inconvenient for Fishes, by hindring their Motion in fo denfe a Medium as Water is; or elfe their brushing through fo thick a Medium would have been apt to wear, and prejudice their Eyes; therefore their Cornea is flat. To make amends for which, as alfo for the Refraction of Water, different from that of the Air, the wife Contriver of the Eye, hath made the Cryftalline spherical in Fifhes, which in Animals, living in the Air, is lenticular, and more flat.

(k) As I have fhew'd before, that the Bodies of Birds are nicely pois'd to swim in the Air; fo are thofe of Fishes for the Water, every Part of the Body being duly balanc'd, and the Center of Gravity, (as I faid in Note (f), accurately fix'd. And to prevent Vacillation, fome of the Fins ferve, particularly thofe of the Belly; as Borelli prov'd by cutting off the Belly-fins, which caus'd the Fish to reel to the right and left Hand, and render'd it unable to ftand fteadily in an upright Posture.

(2) To enable the Fish to abide at the Top, or Bottom, or any other Part of the Waters, the Air-Bladder is given to moft Fishes, which as 'tis more full or empty, makes the Body more or less buoyant.

(m) The Tail is the grand Inftrument of the Motion of the Body; not the Fins, as fome imagine. For which Rea

fon,

with great Swiftnefs, and upwards and downwards. with great Readiness and Agility, and all without Feet and Hands, and ten thousand Things befides; all thefe Things, I fay, do lay before us fo various, fo glorious, and withal fo inexhauftible a Scene of the divine Power, Wifdom and Goodnefs, that it would be in vain to engage my self in fo large a Province, without allotting as much Time and Pains to it, as the preceding Survey hath coft me. Paffing by therefore that Part of our Globe, I fhall only fay fomewhat very briefly concerning the infenfitive Creatures, particularly thofe of the vegetable Kingdom, and fo conclude this Survey.

fon, Fishes are more mufculous and ftrong in that Part, than in all the rest of their Body, according as it is in the motive Parts of all Animals, in the pectoral Mufcles of Birds, the Thighs of Man, &c.

If the Reader hath a Mind to fee the admirable Method, how Fishes row themfelves by their Tail, and other Curiofities relating to their Swimming; I fhall refer him to Borelli de mot. Anim. Part. I. Chap. 23. particularly to Prop. 213.