VOL. IV.] ' PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 'jy \ 



5. His having no spleen; a very little heart, and exceeding little brain, in 

 which appeared no mark at all of any sense of hearing, this animal neither re 

 ceiving nor giving any sound. 



6. His tongue being furnished with and fastened to a long tromp, [tube] 

 serving to launch it out, for the taking of flies,* on which he feeds, and not on 

 air alone; the observers having found many flies in his stomach and guts. 



In the castor-j-, or beaver, they note: 



1 . His two sorts of hair, one short, soft and fine, to defend him from cold, 

 the otiier long and thick, to receive the mire, in which they often wallow, and 

 to hinder it from getting to the skin. 



2. His teeth, formed after a peculiar manner, exceeding fit to cut trees, 

 which they do to build themselves lodgings to breed their young ones in ; for 

 which purpose nature has also furnished them with such fore feet as exactly re- 

 semble the hands of a man ; the hind feet, proper for swimming, being formed 

 like those of a goose. 



3. His bladders containing the castoreum (distinct from the testicles) of 

 which they found four great ones about the lower part of the os pubis, of which 

 two were above the other two, but closely joined to one another, the two upper 

 being likely to prepare that matter, and the two other to bring it to the perfec- 

 tion of more consistence and unctuousness, as also of a stronger scent and 

 deeper yellow colour; for which purpose the two latter are of a glandular com- 

 position. But under this second sort of sacks they found yet another long one, 

 full of liquor, more yellow and liquid, and more elaborate than that in the for- 

 mer, of a different smell, and like to the yolk of an egg; of which they write 

 from Canada, that beavers use it to make themselves an appetite when they 

 want it, and that they squeeze it out by pressing with their paws the bladder 

 which contains it ; and that the savages anoint with it the gins they set for 

 these animals, to draw them thither. 



4. His testicles not fastened to the back-bone, as several authors aflirm, but 

 on the side of the os pubis about the groin, altogether hid, and not appearing 

 at all, no more than the penis, before the skin was removed. The penis, con- 

 trary to that of a dog, which goes from the os pubis to the navel, descended 

 here downward to the anus, where it terminated. 



5. The heart had its left auricle greater than the right (which is also found 

 in some other animals), whereas in man it is contrary. They found no foramen 

 ^vale, which many authors assure to be in all amphibious animals, and even in 



* The extremity of the chamelion's tongue is constantly moistened with a sluny or glutinous 

 liquor, by which it is enabled to catch its prey, 

 f Castor Fiber. Linn. 



3 A 2 



