41 



habitation, but stones themselves. Those kind of 

 worms called Lithophagi, are a proof of this, one 

 might think it incredible that' these little creatures 

 should subsist by gniwing stones. And yet nothing 

 is more certain, these worm-eaten stones being found 

 almost every where. These are generally lime-stones. 

 Grit and free-stones are seldom eaten in this manner. 

 Yet there is an ancient wall of free-stone in the 

 Benedictine abbey at Caeti in Normandy, so eaten 

 with worms, that one may put one's hands into many 

 of the cavities. The wormsare covered with a green, 

 ish shell^ having flat heads, a wide mouth, and four 

 black jaws. And they lay their eggs in those ca- 

 vities, which they gnaw in the stone. 



One more Reptile we may examine a little more 

 minutely, in which the wisdom of God is not a littlo 

 . displayed. It is a common leech. When this is at 

 .rest, its upper lip forms a regular semicircle. When 

 he moves this semicircle becomes two oblique lines, 

 the junction of which makes an angle, which he ap 

 t plies to whatever he would fix himself to. The two 

 lips then make a sort of hoiiow. Both these and 

 its mouth are made of so supple fibres, that they 

 take the figure of the part they are applied to, and 

 fix perfectly close to it. 



The wounds it makes are not punctures, but three 

 cuts made like three rays, which uniting in a centre 

 make equal angles with each other. They appear as 

 if made by a line lancet. They are indeed made by 

 three rows of tine and sharp teeth, which the micros* 

 cope shews to be placed along the middle of a 

 strong muscle. When the mouth has seized on any 

 part, the muscle exerts its action ; aud strikes in all 

 the teeth at once. 



Between the mouth and the stomach, there is a 

 small space, in which are two different arrangements 

 ofiibres. The one set are flat and plain, the others 

 are circular. The former contracting in length, en* 

 Urge the capacity of the throat, and the circular ones 



