188 
MrcROGRAPHIA. 
the top ofthe water, and by degrees it began to move, and after flew. 
about the Glafs a perfec Gnat. 
[have been the more particular, and large inthe relation of the tranf-, 
formation of divers of thefe little Animals which I obferv’d, becaufe I, 
havenot found that any Authour has obferv'd the like; and becaufe the, 
thing it felf is fo ftrange and heterogeneous from the ufual progrefs of 
other Animals, that I judge it may not onely be pleafant, but very. 
ufefull and neceflary towards the compleating of Natural Hiftory. 
| There is indeed in Pifo, a very odd Hiftory, which this relation may 
- make the more probable; and that isinthe 2. Chapter of the 4. Book of 
his Natural Hiftory of Brafil, where he fays,Porre preter tot documenta fer- 
tilitatis circa vegetabilia @ feufitiva marina telluris emulaaccidit & illud, 
quod paucis & Paranambucenfi milliaribuspifcatoris uncum citraintentionem 
contingat infigi vadis petrofis,& loco pifcis fpongia,coralla,aliafque arbufculas 
wtarinas capi. Inter hac inufitate forme prodit fpongiofa arbucula, fe(quipedis 
longitudinis, brevioribus radicibus, lapideis nitens vadis, & rupibus infixa, 
erigiturque in corpus fpongiofum molle oblongum rotundum turbinatum: intus 
miris cancellis @ alveis fabricatum, extus autem tenaci glutine inftar Apune 
propolis undique veftitums, oftio fatis patulo G» profundo in fummitate relido, 
fient ex alteraiconumprobe depida videre licet (fee the third and fourth 
Figures of the 27.1 Scheme.) Ita ut Apiarinm marinum vere dixeris ; primo 
enim intuitn e Mare ad Terramdelatum,vermiculis [catebat caruleis parvis, 
qui wtox calore folis in Mu{cas,vel Apes potins,eafq; exignas & nigras tran|- 
formebantur, circumvolantelque evanefcebant,ita ut de eornm mellificatione 
nihil certi confpici datum fuerit,. cumtamen carofa materia propolis Aputs- 
_ que celle manifefte apparerent,atque ipla mellis qualifcunque fubftantia procul: 
_dubio urinatoribus patebit, ubi curiofius inquifiverint hec apiaria, eaque in 
natali folo @ falo diverfis temporibus penitius luftrarint.. © .......... 
6 week Hiftory contains things fafliciently oe to be confider'd, .as 
whether:the but were a Plant, growing at the bottom of the Sea before, 
of it felf, out of whofe putrifaction might be generated thefe ftrange kind 
of Magots 3 or whether the feed of certain Bees, finking to the bottom; 
might there naturally form. it felf that vegetable hive, and, take;root; 
or, whether it might.not be placed there by, fome. diving. Flys or, 
whether it might not be fome peculiar. propriety of that. Plant,whereby 
it might ripen or formits vegetable juice into an Animal fubftance.s, of 
whether it may not be of the nature of a Sponge, or rather.a Spongeot 
the nature of this, according to fome of thofe relations and‘conjectures 
formerly made of that body, is a matter very difficult to be determine 
But indeed, in this defcription,the Excellent Pio has not. been fuffici 
wee in the fetting-down the whole procefs; asit- were to be with: 
ere are indeed very odd progrefles in the production of feveral kinds 
of Infects, which are not Jefs inftrudtive then pleafant, feveral of, 
the diligent Goedartixs has carefully obferv'd and recorded, but.amot 
all his Obfervations, he has none like'this, though that of the Heaserobi#s 
be fomewhat of this’kind, which. is added as.an Appendix by. jerannes 
