BOOK XI. II. 5-III. 9 



gives rise to a long list of questions. For the sanie 

 people actiially say that these creatures have not 

 got a voice, in spite of all the buzzing of bees and 

 chirping of tree-crickets, and make other statements 

 the value of which will be judged in their places. 

 For when I have observed Nature she has always 

 induced me to deem no statement about her 

 incredible ; nor do I see why such creatures should 

 be more able to Hve without breathing than to 

 breathe without vital organs, which we have proved " 

 to occur even in the case of marine creatures in 

 spite of the fact that their bi-eath is barred by the 

 density and depth of the water. At all events that 

 any creatures fly and yet have no capacity of 

 breathing in spite of their hving in the very breath 

 of the air, and that they have consciousness of 

 nutrition, generation and work, and even interest 

 in the future, and that although they have no organs 

 to cariy the senses as in a vessel, they nevertheless 

 possess hearing, smell, taste, and those outstanding 

 gifts of nature, intelHgence, brain, science, into 

 the bargain — who would easily beheve this ? I 

 admit that they have not got blood, as even land 

 animals have not all got blood of the same. kind * ; 

 but just as in the sea the black fluid of the cuttle- 

 fish takes the place of blood, as also does the famous 

 juice of the genus purple-fish that supphes a dye, 

 similarly also whatever is the hfe-giving fluid 

 possessed by insects, this will be their blood. Finally 

 let each man form his own opinion, but our purpose 

 is to point out the manifest properties of objects, 

 not to search for doubtful causes. 



III. So far as is perceptible, insects do not appear 

 to possess sinews or bones or spines or cartilage or fat 



voL. III. p 437 



