The Greenbottles 



that the Greenbottle-grubs begin by liquefy- 

 ing their food. Incapable of taking solid 

 nourishment, they first transform the spoil 

 into running matter; then, dipping their heads 

 into the product, they drink, they slake their 

 thirst, with long sups. Their dissolvent, com- 

 parable in its effects with the gastric juice of 

 the higher animals, is, beyond a doubt, 

 emitted through the mouth. The piston of 

 the hooks, continually in movement, never 

 ceases spitting it out in infinitesimal doses. 

 Each spot touched receives a grain of some 

 subtle pepsin, which soon suffices to make that 

 spot run in every direction. As digesting, 

 when all is said, merely means liquefying, it 

 is no paradox to assert that the maggot di- 

 gests its food before swallowing it. 



These experiments with my filthy, evil- 

 smelling tubes have given me some delightful 

 moments. The worthy Abbe Spallanzani^ 

 must have known some such when he saw 

 pieces of raw meat begin to run under the 

 action of the gastric juice which he took, with 

 pellets of sponge, from the stomachs of 

 Crows. He discovered the secrets of digest- 



^Lazaro Spallanzani (1729-1799), the Italian natural- 

 ist, author of important works on the circulation of the 

 blood, digestion, generation and microscopic animals. — 

 Translator's Note. 



229 



