718 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIOXS. [aNNO 1672. 



from weeds banging down from the banks into ponds and rivers. Others from 

 locusts and grashoppers (ex bruchis ;) which last, though it be near the matter, 

 yet it is rejected by Aldrovandus himself, as the most unlikely. They have been 

 found in a cold and good spring, and elsewhere (which is a wonder, says Al- 

 drovandus) upon a leaf in the garden. And this, which was there found, was 

 five or six fingers-breadth long ; the thickness of a bristly horse-hair, with a 

 duskish back and a white belly, and the tail on every side white. I saw, says 

 Aldrovandus, a black one, thicker than the whitish one. Other authors de- 

 scribe them otherwise, as Bertrutius, Albertus, &c. Some affirming them to have 

 been a cubit long, others two cubits, others 9 inches long at the least ; that 

 they are white of colour, and so hard as scarcely to be crushed with one's foot: 

 to be every where of the same thickness ; that they move not as worms move 

 but snake like, and knit themselves up into knots ; that their skin is one conti- 

 nued thing without incisures, and therefore some would exclude them from the 

 insect kind; that they have no head but swim both ways, and therefore may be 

 called amphisbsena aquatica; that they are poison drunk down into the stomach, 

 but not venom to the touch. And thus much out of Aldrovandus. 



Our observation is this. April 2, there was thrown up out of the ground of 

 my garden, in digging amongst other things of this nature, a coal black beetle, 

 of a middle size, and flat shape, and which I have observed elsewhere common 

 enough. These beetles I dissected on account of some curiosity, wherein I 

 had a mind to satisfy myself. But I was surprised to find in their swollen bellies 

 several of these hair worms, in some three, in others one only. The following 

 particulars we carefully noted. 1 . That upon the incision they crawled forth of 

 themselves. 2. That putting them into water they lived many days, and 

 seemed endeavouring to escape by lifting up their heads out of the water, and 

 fastening them to the side of the vessels, very plainly drawing the rest of their 

 body forward. 3. That they cannot be said to be amphisbccna, but move for- 

 ward by the head only, which is fairly distinguishable from the tail by a notable 

 blackness. 4. That the three I took out of the body of one beetle, were all of 

 a dark hair colour, with whitish bellies, somewhat thicker than hogs bristles; 

 but I took out of the body of another beetle, one that was much thicker than 

 the rest, much lighter coloured, and by measure just five inches and a half long, 

 whereas all the rest did not exceed three inches and three quarters. * 



* The worm here described is the Gordius Aquaticus of Linnaeus, and is by no means uncotnmon 

 in stagnant waters during the summer months : it is also occasionally found in damp ground in gardens, 

 &c. particularly after great rain accompanying thunder storms. The kind described by Lister as found 

 in the bodies of beetles, is supposed to constitute a distinct species, and in the Gmelinian edition of 

 tlie Systema Naturae, is even referred to a different genus under the name of Filaria, it is the Filaria 



