Book IX. J/land of BARBADOS. 
were, of a far thinner and more delicate (1) Texture than thofe of any 
Plant ; and as Water is eight hundred times heavier than Air, the fud- 
den Weight of fo thick a Medium, by its Undulation caufed by the Pref- 
fure of my Hand or Stick, might very well account for its fudden 
Contraétion. ; : 
This was my Opinion, till a fubfequent Vifit cleared my Doubts; for 
I plainly faw four dark-coloured Refemblances of Threads fomething like 
the Legs of a Spider, rifing out of the Centre of what I have termed a 
Flower. Their quick {pontanecous Motion from one Side to the other of 
this circular yellow Border of feeming Leaves (which in reality were fo 
many Arms or Feelers), and their clofing together in Imitation of a For- 
ceps, as if they had hemmed in their Prey (which the yellow Border like- 
wife foon furrounded and clofed to fecure), fully convinced me, that it was 
a living Creature. 
Its Body at a Diftance appears to be about as big as a Raven’s Quill, 
and of a blackifh Colour; the one End fticking to the Rock, the other 
extending a very {mall Diftance from it; and incircled round with a yel- 
low Border, as above defcribed. 
Thus what in its firft Appearance feems tobe of the vegetative Kind, 
by its Motion, and quick Senfe of Self-prefervation, proves an Animal. 
Now, fince the fame Wifdom and Goodnefs, which give Being to 
Creatures, often preferve them in that Exiftence by Ways and Means 
as wonderful as their Creation was before; this leads me to offer a probable 
Conjecture, why God’s amazing Providence (which doth nothing in vain) 
endued the Arms or Feelers of this Animal with a fine yellow Colour, 
and ‘hath ordained it to differ in this Particular from the feveral Tribes of 
fungous Animals, that are always found cleaving to ‘the Rocks in the 
Sea. 
As thefe latter may be fed with Spawn, or fome Animalcules, which 
the Flux or Reflux of the Waves may throw in their Way, there was no 
Need of any uncommon Means to intice their Prey (if Animals) within 
their Reach ; whereas the Water in the Cave is, for the moft part, void of 
any Motion that can convey Food for thefe Animals. Therefore there 
was a Neceflity of fome extraordinary Temptation to allure their Prey 
within their Power, to feize it; ‘otherwife they might ftarve in the midft 
of Plenty. 
To this End, that Divine: Goodnefs, which filleth every thing living 
with Plenteoufnefs, hath finely devifed this providential Stratagem (if Imay 
(1) Tho’ I could not by any means contrive to take or pluck from the Rock one 
of thefe Animals intire ; yet T once cat off (with ‘a'Knife which I had for a long time 
held out of Sight near the Mouth of an Hole, out of which one of thefe Animals appeared) 
two of thefe feeming Leaves. Thefe, when out of the Water, retained.their Shape and 
Colour; but, being compofed of a Membrane-like Subftance, furprifingly thin, it foon 
fhriveled up, and decayed. 
Fffft be 
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