How they feize their Prey, 6^ 



told, in the Mud of many Ponds and Ditches. 

 They have thriven however very well on 

 thefe Worms, and their manner of feizing 

 Thefe, is fufficient to let us know how capable 

 they are of doing the fame thing by other 

 Creatures larger than themfelves; for the 

 Worms I fpeak of have not only a great 

 deal of Strength and Agility, but are many 

 of them two or three Inches long, and con- 

 fequently as big as feveral Polypes, Not- 

 withftanding which, they fcarce ever fail to 

 kill, and very feldom to gorge them entire- 

 ly, unlefs they happen to be uncommonly 

 large : in which Cafe they fwallow as much 

 as their little Bodies can poffibly contain, 

 and leave the Refidue hanging out of their 

 Mouths. 



When a Polype ftands ered on the Bot- 

 tom of the Glafs, or hanging to the Side 

 thereof, with its Body 

 and Arms extended, 



as in the Figure, it is 



as vigilant as a Spider 



in the Centre of its 

 Web, fully intent on / 

 Prey; and will feize a 

 Worm with as much 

 Eagernefs as a Cat 

 catches a Moufe, 



I have 



