CENTURY VIII. 387 



compared to the breaking of the secundinc, or caul, 

 but not rightly: for that were to make every casting 

 of the skin a new birth : and besides, the secundine is 

 but a general cover, not shaped according to the parts, 

 but the skin is shaped according to the parts. The 

 creatures that cast their skin are, the snake, the viper, 

 the grasshopper, the lizard, the silk- worm, &c. Those 

 that cast their shell are, the lobster, the crab, the 

 crawfish, the hodmandod or dedman, the tortoise, &c. 

 The old skins are found, but the old shells never : so 

 as it is like, they scale off, and crumble away by 

 degrees. And they are known by the extreme ten 

 derness and softness of the new shell, and somewhat 

 by the freshness of the colour of ft. The cause of 

 the casting of skin and shell should seem to be the 

 great quantity of matter in those creatures that is fit 

 to^make skin or shell; and again, the looseness of the 

 skin or shell, that sticketh not close to the flesh. For 

 it is certain, that it is the new skin or shell that 

 putteth off the old : so we see, that in deer it is the 

 young horn that putteth off the old; and in birds, 

 the young feathers put off the old : and so birds 

 that have much matter for their beak, cast their 

 beaks, the new beak putting off the old. 



Experiments in consort touching the postures of the 

 body. 



733. Lying not erect, but hollow, which is in the 

 making of the bed : or with the legs gathered up, 

 which is in the posture of the body, is the more 

 wholesome. The reason is, the hotter comforting of 



