BOOK XI. I. 2-II. 5 



where did she insert smell.'' and where did she 

 implant that truculent and relatively very loud 

 voiee ? with what subtlety she attached the wings, 

 extended the legs that carry the feet, placed a 

 ravenous hollow to serve as a stomach, kindled a 

 greedy thirst for blood and especially human blood ! 

 Then with what genius she provided a sharp weapon 

 for piercing the skin, and as if working on a large 

 object, although really it is invisibly minute, 

 created it with alternating skill so as to be at once 

 pointed for digging and tubed for sucking ! What 

 teeth she attached to the wood-borer " for boring 

 through timber, with the accompanying sound as 

 evidence,'' and made its chief nutriment to consist 

 of wood ! But we marvel at elephants' shoulders 

 carrying castles, and bulls' necks and the fierce 

 tossings of their heads, at the rapacity of tigers 

 and the manes of Hons, whereas i-eally Nature is 

 to be found in her entirety nowhere more than in 

 her smallest creations. I consequently beg my 

 readers not to let their contempt for many of these 

 creatures lead them also to condemn to scorn what 

 I relate about them, since in the contemplation of 

 Nature nothing can possibly be deemed superfluous. 



II. Many people have asserted that insects do Tiieyhavt 

 not breathe, also arguing in support of this from the ^^gj!^a?i] 

 fact that they do not possess the internal organs of »»»»■ i^iood. 

 a respiratory system, and saying that consequently sunmhiy 

 thev live like plants and trees, whereas there is a, tittyjtreatiie 



Tfp 1 1 !• II-- '^"" Inongli 



very great ditierence between breathmg and iivmg ; ihey have 

 it is for the same reason, they argue, that they do "^Jy^l^^^^ 

 not contain blood either, as this is found in no species 

 lacking a heart and a Hver ; similarly, they say, 

 things that have not got lungs do not breathe. This 



435 



