to 



ed by (he touch, For if immediately after the re- 

 moving a limpet from the stone, the finger be applied 

 to the place, it is fastened very strongly to it by means 

 of the glue left there; but if any wet have come upon; 

 the stone since the fish has been removed, no viscosity 

 can be perceived on it, the whole substance of the glue 

 being immediately dissolved. This consideration may 

 lead us to observe the great care of nature over all her 

 works. How eminently is it manifested in this little 

 fish? It \vas absolutely necessary for its preservation 

 that it should have a power of fixing itself to the stone, 

 or it would have been washed away by every wave. 

 And, this power is given it by means of that glue \\hich 

 fixes vt so firmly ; but when it is fixed, how shall it 

 be loosed ? This is equally necessary. For if there be 

 not some power in the animal itself, to dissolve this 

 glue, it must needs perish for want of food, when once 

 fixed to a barren spot. Water is the proper disso-vant 

 of this glue ; but it cannot be the external water. This 

 is kept at a distance, by the close adhesion of the 

 outer rim of the great circular muscle* And it is need* 

 ful it should, else itwofllvl always dissolve the glue a* 

 soon as it was discharged, But the under surface of 

 the body of the animal i# covered all over with small 

 tubercles, most of which contain water. When there* 

 fore rt would move, it has only to discharge a small 

 quantity of this water, and the cement immediately 

 dissolves and sets it at liberty. The other tubercles 

 doubtless contain the viscous matter; so that when 

 the animal would fix itself, it needs only to squeeze 

 one set of its tubercles, and when it would loose itself 

 the other. 



14. Upon the whole, how natural are the reflections 

 which a late writer makes on the inhabitants of the 

 watrs ? 



What an abundance of fish do the waters produce? 

 In these I seem to discern nothing but a head and a 

 tail : they have neither feet nor hands, nor have they 

 any neck ; so that their head cannot be tu/ned at all. 



