241 Guard, are armed, fome with Horns (4), fome with fharp Quills and Prickles (5), fome with Claws, fome with Stings (†); fome can shift and change

(4) Dente timentur Apri: defendunt cornua Tauros : Imbelles Dame quid nifi preda fumus? Martial. 1. 13. Epigr. 94. (5) The Hedgbog being an helplefs, flow, and patient A--nimal, is accordingly guarded with Prickles, and a Power of rolling it felf up in them. Clavis terebrari fibi pedes, S difcindi vifcera patientiffimè ferebat, omnes cultri ictus fine gemitu plufquam Sartana nobilitate concoquens. Borrichius in Blaf. de Echino. Panniculum carnofum amplexabatur Mufculus pænè circularis, admiranda fabrice, lacinias fuas ad pe des, caudam, caput, variè exporrigens, cujus minifterio Echi nus fe ad arbitrium in orbem contrahit. A&t. Dan. in Blafio. Ifte licet digitos teftudine pungat acuta,

Cortice depofito mollis Echinus erit. Mart. 1. 13. Epig. S6. (t) The Sting of a Wafp, or Bee, &c. is fo pretty a piece of Work, that it is worth taking notice of, fo far as I have not found others to have spoken of it. Others have obfer ved the Sting to be an hollow Tube, with a Bag of fharp penetrating Juices (its Poifon) joined to the end of it with in the Body of the Wafp, which is, in Stinging, Injected into the Flesh through the Tube. But there are befides this, two fmall, fharp, bearded Spears, lying within this Tube or Sting, as in a Sheath. In a Wasp's Sting I counted eight Beards on the fide of each Spear, fomewhat like the Beards of Fish-hooks. Thefe Spears in the Sting, or Sheath, lie one with its Point a little before that of the other; as is reprefented in Fig. 21. to be ready (I conceive) to be firft darted into the Flesh; which being once fixed, by means of its foremost Beard, the other then ftrikes in too, and fo they alternately pierce deeper and deeper, their "Beards tax king more and more hold in the Flesh; after which the Sheath or Sting follows, to convey the Poifon into the Wound. Which, that it may pierce the better, it is drawn into á Point, with a fmall flit a little below that Point, for the two Spears to come out at, By means of this pretty Mechanism in the Sting it is, that the Sting when out of the Body, and parted from it, is able to pierce and fting us: And by means of the Beards being lodged deep in the Flesh, it comes to pafs that Bees leave their Stings behind them, when they are disturbed before they have time to withdraw their Spears into their Scabbard. In Fig. 21. is

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change their Colours (6), fome can make their escape by the help of their Wings, and others by the fwiftness of their Feet, fome can fcreen themfelves by diving in the Waters, others by tinging and difordering the Waters (7) can make their efcape; and fome can guard their Bodies even in the very Flames, by the Ejection of the Juice of

their

tepresented the two Spears as they lie in the Sting. In Fig. 22. the two Spears are reprefented when fqueezed out of the Sting or the Scabbard; in which latter, Fig. A cb is the Sting, ed, and be the two bearded Spears thruft out.

(6) The Chameleon is fufficiently fam'd on this account. Befides which, Pliny tells us of a Beast as big as an Ox, called the Tarandus, that when he pleafeth affumes the Colour of an Afs, and Colorem omnium fruticum, arborum, florum, locorumque reddit in quibus latet metuens, ideoque raro capitur. Plin. 1. 8. c. 34.

How true this is there may be fome reafon to doubt; but if any Truth be in the Story, it may be from the Animal's chufing fuch Company, or Places, as are agreeable to its Colour: as I have feen in divers Caterpillers, and other Infects, who I believe were not able to change their Colour, from one Colour to another, yet I have conftantly observed do fix themselves to fuch things as are of the fame Colour; by which means they dodge the Spectator's Eye. Thus the Caterpiller that feeds on Elder, I have more than once feen To cunningly adhering to the fmall Branches of the fame Colour, that it might be eafily mistaken for a fmall Stick, even by a careful View. So a large green Caterpillar that feeds on Buckthorn, and divers others. To which I may add the prodigious Sagacity of the Ichneumon-Flies that make the Kermes, (for of that Tribe all the Kermes I ever faw was) how artificially they not only inclose their Eggs within that Skin or Shell, but allo fo well humour the Colour of gummy the Wood they adhere to, by various Streaks and Colours, that it is not eafie to diftinguish them from the Wood it Telf.

(7) Contra metum & vim, fuis fe armis quæque defendit. Cornibus Tauri, Apri dentibus, morfu Leones, alia fugâ fe, alia occultatione tutantur: atramenti effufione Sepia, torpore Torpedines. Multa etiam infectantes odoris intolerabili fœditate depellunt. Cic. de Nat. Deor. 1. 2. c. 50,

their Bodies (8), and fome by their accurate Smell, Sight, or Hearing, can forefee Dangers (9); 0thers by their natural Craft can prevent or escape them (to); others by their uncouth Noise (11), by the horrid Afpect, and ugly Gesticulations of their Body (12); and fome even by the Power of their Excrements, and their Stink (13) can an

noy

(8) A Knight called Corvini at Rome, caft a Salamander into the Fire, which prefently fwelled, and then vomited ftore of thick flimy Matter, which put out the Coals; to which the Salamander prelently retired, putting them out again in the fame manner, as foon as they re-kindled, and by this means faved it felf from the force of the Five for the fpace of two Hours. After which it lived nine Months. Vid. Philof. Tranfa&t. No. 21. in Lowth, Abridg. Vol. 2, p. 816.

(9) Pliny gives an Inftance in each, 1. 10. c. 69. Aquila clariùs cernunt [quam homines;] Vultures fagacius odorantur: liquidiùs audiunt Talpa obruta terra, tam denfo atque -furdo natura elemento.

(10) The Doubling of the Hare before fhe goes to Form, thereby to dodge and deceive the Dogs, although a vulgar Obfervation, is a notable Inftinct for an Animal lefs famed for Cunning than the Fox, and fome others.

(II) It is natural for many Quadrupeds, Birds, and Serpents, not only to put on a torvous angry Afpect, when in Danger; but alfo to fnarl, hifs, or by fome other Noise de ter their Adversary.

(12) The Fynx, or Wryneck, although a Bird of very beautiful Feathers, and confequenrly far enough off from being any way terrible yet being in Danger, hath fuch odd Contortions of its Neck, and Motions of its Head, that I remember have fcated me, when I was a Boy, from taking their Nefts, or touching the Bird, daring no more to venture my Hand into their Holes, than if a Serpent had lodg

ed in it.

(13) Bonafus tuetur fe calcibus & ftercore, quod ab fe qua ternis paffibus [trium jugerum longitudine, Plin. Nat. Hift, 1. 8. c. 15.] ejaculatur, quod fæpe comburit adeo ut deglabren tur canes, Ray Synopf, Quadr, p. 71,

244 noy their Enemy, and fecure themselves; and against fome (14) the Divine Providence it self hath provided a Guard.

By fuch Shifts and Means as thefe, a fufficient Guard is miniftred to every Species of Animals, in its proper refpective Place; abundantly enough to fecure the Species from Deftruction,and to keep up that Balance, which I have formerly fhewed, is in the World among every, and all the Species of Animals; but yet not enough to fecure Individuals from becoming a Prey to Man, or to other Crea

Camelus Peruvianus Clama dictus neminem offendit, fed miro admodum ingenio fe ab illatâ vindicat injuriâ, nimirum vomitu vel cibi, vel humoris in vexantem retrorfum cum impetu ejaculato, ob protenfam colli longitudinem. Id. ib. p. 146.

Tzquiepatl (Anglicè Squnck Præf.] and one that I faw they called a Stonck) cum quis eam infectatur, fundit cum ventris crepitu halitum fœtidiffimum: quin ipfa tota teterrimum exhalat odorem, & urina ftercufque eft fætidiffimum, atque adeo peftilens, ut nihil fit reperire in noftro orbe, cui in bac re poffit comparari: quo fit, ut in periculo conftituta, urinam & faces ad 8 pluriumve paffuum intervallum ejiciat, hoc modo fe ab omnibus vindicans injuriis, ac veftes inficiens maculis luteis indelebilibus, & nunquam fatis perfpirante odore: aliàs innoxium Animal eduleque, bâc fola ratione horrendiffimum. Id. ib. p. 182.

Si Accipiter Ardeam in fublimi moleftat, ftercore immiffo in pennas ejus, eas putrefcere facit: uti Solinus fcribit de Bonafo, &c. Ita & Lupus urinam fpargit in perfequentem. Ol, Mag. Hift. 1. 19. c. 14.

(14) Thus againft the Crocodile, which can catch its Prey only before it, not on one fide. So the Shark, of which take my often-commended Friend Dr. Sloane's Obfervation: It bath this particular to it, with fome others of its own Tribe, that the Mouth is in its under Part, fo that it must turn the Belly upwards to Prey. And was it not for that time it is in turning, in which the pursued Fishes efcape, there would be nothing that could avoid it; for it is very quick in Swimming, and hath a vaft Strength, with the largeft Swallow of any Fish, and is very devouring. Sloane's Voyage to Jamaica,

P. 23.

245 Creatures, as their Neceffities of Life require. To which purpose the natural Sagacity and Craft of the one intrapping (15) and captivating, being in fome measure equivalent to that of the other in evading, is as excellent a means for the maintaining the one, as preferving the other; and if well confidered, argues the Contrivance of the infinitely wife Creator and Preferver of the World.

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CHAP. XV.

Of the Generation of Animals.

Here remains now only one thing more of the ten Things in common to Animals, and that is what relates to their Generation (1) and Conferby benvation

(15) See Chap. 11. Note 57.

;

(1) Spontaneous Generation is a Doctrine fo generally exploded, that I fhall not undertake the difproof of it. It is fo evident, that all Animals, yea Vegetables too, owe their Production to Parent-Animals and Vegetables, that I have often admired at the Sloath and Prejudices of the ancient Philofophers, in fo eafily taking upon Truft the Ariftotelian, or rather the Egyptian Doctrine of Equivocal Generation that when they faw Flies, Frogs, and Lice, for inftance, to be Male and Female, and accordingly to ingender, lay Eggs, Ec, they could ever imagine any of thefe Creatures fhould be fpontaneously produced, efpecially in fo Romantick a manner, as in the Clouds as they particularly thought Frogs were, and that they dropped down in Showers of Rain. For an answer to this Cafe of Frogs, I fhall refer to a Relation of my own, which my late moft ingenious and learned Friend the great Mr. Ray, requefted of me, and was pleafed to publifh in his last Edition of his Wifdom of God manifefted, &c. p. 365.

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