APPENDIX. 381 



" fteps before the hall-door fonie years before my 

 " acquaintance commenced with it, and had been 

 " admired by my father for its fize (which was of 

 " the largeft I ever met with) who conftantly payed 

 " it a vifit every evening. I knew it myfclf above 

 " thirty years, and by conftantly feeding it, brought 

 " it to be fo tame that it always came to the can- 

 " die, and looked up as if expedling to be taken 

 " up and brought upon the table, where I always 

 " fed it with infe(5i:s of all forts : it was fondeft of 

 " flefli maggots, which I kept in bran ; it would 

 *' follow them, and when within a proper diftance, 

 " would fix its eye, and remain motionkfs for near 

 " a quarter of a minute, as if preparing for the 

 " ftroke, which was an inftantaneous t|:rowing its 

 ^^ tongue at a great diftance upon the infect, which 

 " ftuck to the tip by a glutinous matter : the mo- 

 " tion is quicker than the eye can follow*. 



" I always imagined that the root of its tongue 

 " was placed in the fore part of its under jaw, and 

 '• the tip towards its throat, by which the motion 

 " muft be a half circle ; by which, when its tongue 

 " recovered its fituation, the infe6t at the tip would 

 " be brought to the place of deglutition. I was 

 " confirmed in this by never cbferving any internal 

 " motion in its mouth, excepting one fwallow the 

 " inftant its tongue returned, Poflibly I might be 



* This rapid capture of its prey might give occafjon to the 

 report of its fafcinating powers. Linnaus fays, InfeHa in fauces 

 fafci7io ■/■e--vo(.at, 



" miftakeii 



