126 THE HISTORY OF ANIiTALS. [B. V. 



become canthari; and from the worms which inhabit the 

 osprea, 1 winged creatures, like those already mentioned, 

 derive their existence. Flies originate in dung which has 

 been set apart, and those who are employed in this work 

 strive to separate the remainder which is mixed together, 

 for they say that the dung is thus brought to putrefac- 

 tion. 



11. The origin of these worms is very small ; for first of 

 all a redness is perceived, and motion commences, as if they 

 were united together. The worm then again becomes still, 

 afterwards it moves, and then again is immoveable. From 

 this the worm is completed, and motion recommences under 

 the action of the sun and wind. The myops is produce^ in 

 wood. The orsodacnse 2 from the metamorphosis of worms, 

 which originate on the stalks of the crambe. The cautharis 

 from worms which dwell on the fig tree, apium (pear tree), 

 and pitch tree, for there are worms on all these, and on the 

 cynacantha. 3 They assemble round strong smelling things 

 because they originate from them. 



12. The conops springs from a worm which originates in the 

 thick part of vinegar; for there seem also to be worms in things 

 which are the farthest from putrefaction, as in snow which has 

 laid for some time : for after having laid, it becomes red, 

 wherefore, also, the worms are such and hairy. Those in the 

 enow in Media are large and white, and furnished with but 

 little power of motion. In Cyprus, when the manufacturers 

 of the stone called chalcitis burn it for many days in the 

 fire, a winged creature, something larger than a great fly, 

 is seen walking and leaping in the fire. 



13. The worms perish when they are taken out of the 

 snow, and so do these creatures when taken from the fire. 

 And the salamander shews that it is possible for some 

 animal substances to exist in the fire, for they say that fire 

 is extinguished when this animal walks over it. 



14. In the river Hypanis in the Cimmerian Bosphorus, 

 about the summer solstice, capsules larger than grape-seed 

 are floated down the river : when these are ruptured, a 

 four-footed, winged creature makes its escape, which lives 

 and flies about till the evening. As the sun descends, it 



1 Vetches, leguminous plants. 2 Chrjsomela oleracea. 



8 Perhaps the dog rose, or sweet briar. 



