Walk or Flight; are a good Guard to the Eyes and Head; and in many, a very beautiful Piece of Garniture to the Body. II. As to the Motion of Infects, fome creep, fome leap, fome walk, fome swim, and most of them fly; fome fly with Wings, others by help of their Webs, as Spiders; and others by Means as yet unknown. 12. The Wings of many Infects are a moft curious Piece of Workmanship, diftended and ftrengthened with the finest Bones, and thefe covered with the fineft, tranfparent, and lighteft Membranes ; fome adorned

with neat and beautiful Feathers, and many provided with the fineft Articulations and Foldings, for the Wings to be withdrawn, and neatly laid up in their Vagina or Cafes; and again readily extended for Use. 13. Those Infects which have four Wings, have their Bodies thereby kept steady and upright in Flight; and those which have but two Wings have Poises or Pointils, like little Balls, fet under their Wings on each Side their Bodies for that Purpofe. 14. The Minutenefs, Art, and Curiofity of the Joints, Mufcles, Tendons, Nerves, &c. neceffary to perform the Motion of the Wings, Legs, and other Parts, is a furprifing Thing to all who confider it. 15. The Nidification of Infects far excells the moft exquifite humane Art, wit

nefs

The Nature of Infects.

311

nefs the nice geometrical Combs of fome, or earthen Cells of others, or the Webs, Nets, and Caffes woven by the admirable Textrine Art of fome others. 16. Again, what strange Inftinct leads others of thofe fmall Creatures to make even Nature it felf fubfervient to their Defigns, by making the Vegetation of Trees, and Plants, the Means of building their little Nefts or Cells; fuch as thofe Cafes, Galls, and Balls, found on the Leaves and Branches of Vegetables, of many different Sorts; fome being hard Shells, fome tender Balls, fome fcaly, fome finooth, fome hairy, fome long, round, conical, &c. 17. They have Parts analogous to the Brain, Stomach, Entrails, Arteries, Veins, Nerves, Lymphæducts, &c. yet being fo wonderful fine and tender, are, as it were, included within the hard Cafe of their outward Body; wherewithal they are clothed and defended, as with a Coat of Mail. 18. Again, how curiously are those outward Teguments, or hard Cafes of InJects Bodies contrived? How are they fet with Briftles, fharp Spines, &c. for Defence? How are they adorned with neat Imbrications, and many other Beauties, and Fineries? 19. As the Magnitude of fome Species of Animals is very wonderful, on the contrary, the Minuteness of fome Infects is far more amazing: Mr. LeuwenX 4 boeck

beck has obferved more of these Animalcules in the Melt of a Cod-Fish, at one Time, than there are People living on the Face of all the Earth at once. It is alfo found, that in a drop of Pepper-water, are contained above 8280000 of thofe fmall Creatures ; and fome are yet difcovered smaller than these, so that Millions of Millions might be contained in one Drop of Water. 20. It is the infinite Number of thefe invifible Animals that makes ftagnating Waters appear of fo many different Hues, as green, brown, reddish, &c. But I cannot farther enlarge, for want of Time.

A. Well, thofe Things loudly declare the wondrous Skill and Wisdom of their Maker; and great pity it is they are not more attended to: But, pray, continue this pleafing Survey next in the Nature of thofe Creatures you call Reptiles.

B. In the Reptile Species feveral Things are common to other Animals, and have been already obferved; and fome Things are fomewhat particular and peculiar to them, which I fhall remark in the following Order: 1. Their finuous, vermicular, or creeping Motion is very curious, and contrived with the niceft Art, and geometrial Neatnefs. 2. The whole Body of a Worm is, as it were, but a Chain of annular or fpiral Mufcles, whofe orbicular

Fibres

The Nature of Reptiles.

313 Fibres by contracting render each Ring (at firft wide and extended) more ftraight and long; and thus the foremost attracting the next behind, the Action is continued through the Length of their Body, and produceth their vermicular or spiral Motion. 3. The Serpent Kind move by Means of annular Scales lying ftraight across their Bellies, contrary to what they do on the Back, and other Parts of their Bodies, Now the Edges of the foremoft Scales lying over the Edges of the hinder from Head to Tail run out a little beyond them, fo that when each Scale is drawn back, or fet a little upright by its Mufcle, the outer Edge thereof (or Foot) is raifed alfo a lit tle from the Body, to take hold on the Earth, and fo producing, by the fucceffive Action of all, the finuous Motion of the Serpent. 4. The Motion of Snails is performed by the undulatory Action of a long broad Skin along each Side of their Belly; and they are enabled partly by a flimy glutinous Matter emitted from their Body, and partly by the Preffure of the Atmofphere, to adhere firmly to all Kinds of Superficies, and in all Poftures. 5. Caterpillars, while in their vermicular State, are curiously provided with little Feet, the foremoft fhort and hooked, to draw Leaves, &c. to them; the hindermost are broad Palms,

Palms, befet around with small sharp Nails, by which they stick to, and grafp whatever they are upon: Whereas in their Nympha or aurelia State, they have neither Feet nor Motion, but a little in their hinder Parts; and in their mature or infect State, they have motive Parts proper to that Species of Animals. 6. It is a wonderful pretty Mechanifm obfervable in the Going of Millepedes (or Multipedes) that on each Side of their Bodies every Leg hath its Motion, one very regularly following the other from End to End of the Body; fo that their Legs in going make `a Kind of Undulation, and give the Body a swifter Progreffion than one would imagine it fhould have, where fo many fhort Feet are to take fo many fhort Steps. 7. The Spine or Back-bone of Serpents is really wonderful: How thick are they fet with Joints, or Vertebræ? How numerous and strong are their Co-operating fmall Mufcles? By what curious Articulation of the Vertebræ can they turn and wind their Bodies any Way? 8. Some of the Reptile Kind are provided with a poisonous Matter, ferving to the more eafy Conqueft, and fure Capture of their Prey; and probably may ferve to the Digeftion of their Food. 9. The Poison of the Viper lieth in a Bag in the Gums at the End of a certain fharp Tooth, convey

ed