144 THE MINUTE ANATOMISTS 



Natural History of Brazil. The opossum sleeps hanging 

 by its tail, as the gnat-larva also may do for all that we 

 know. When he comes to give an account of the genera- 

 tion of the gnat, Hooke shows the same uncertainty as 

 other naturalists of the time. He is at one moment 

 ready to believe that the living things which were 

 supposed to be bred of corruption all proceed from eggs. 

 But he is also ready to believe that the sun may cause a 

 parcel of earth to fly on wings in the air, as it causes 

 water to rise in vapour. Science in 1665 had by no 

 means freed herself from the tradition of ancient philo- 

 sophy. 



Obs. 46. A plume-moth (Pterophorus pentadactylus) 

 is shown, but the hind-wing is represented with two 

 divisions only. 



Obs. 48. An animated description of the capture of 

 prey by a hunting spider is quoted from John Evelyn. 



Obs. 50-2. A chelifer and a Lepisma are figured, 

 probably for the first time. Lepisma is called "the 

 small silver-coloured book-worm." The lustre of pearls 

 is explained. 



Obs. 53. A gigantic figure of the flea is given. 



Obs. 54. Here is a similar figure of a louse. A mite 

 is figured, and Hooke remarks that mites are found 

 among moulds, so that moulds are probably their food, 

 " spontaneous vegetables seeming a proper food for 

 spontaneous animals." 



Obs. 56. The coccus of the vine and its eggs are 

 shown. 



Obs. 57. The eels in vinegar are discussed. 



Obs. 58-60 treat of inflection of the rays of light, 

 of the fixed stars, and of the moon. 



Hooke relates experiments on the sensitive plant.^ 



'Pp. 116-121. 



