O F S I L K. 119 



but I muft inform you that they do at tlie 

 fame time, by rubbing their heads among 

 the leafy fibres, caft the entire fcull includ- 

 ing their teeth, and all other parts of it ; 

 and as their fkin is flrippcd downward off 

 their tail, fo the Ikull comes forward off 

 their mouth, and this is what gives their 

 muzzle that fharp appearance which it has 

 during their ficknefs, it being no more than 

 the old fcull flicking to the point of the new 

 one. When the worms are large you can 

 eafily with the naked eye perceive this cafl- 

 ing off their fcuUs ; and through the micro- 

 fcope you may perfectly difcover their jaws, 

 teeth, &c. in it, together with feven mofl 

 exceflive fmall holes, on each fide near the 

 mouth, which were thofe of their eyes : 

 for the two broad appearances on their 

 head, which fome miflake for their two 

 eyes, are only two bones of their fcull : 

 their eyes are feven, as I have faid, on each 

 fide, but fo fmall that when greatly mag- 

 nified with a glafs, they do not exceed a 

 fmall grain of fand. The fpots which, 

 when the worms are grov/n, appear at re- 

 gular diftances down each fide of the 

 body, are alfo by fome miftaken for their 

 eyes, but thefe fpots are the breathing holes 

 I 4 through 



