510 



The eleventh Booke of 



THE ELEVENTH BOOKE OF 



THE HISTORIE OF NATVRE, 



WRITTEN BY C. PLINIVS H 



SEC VND vs. 



\T remameth now to write of thofe living creatures yxphichm themofl fubtill of all others 

 I that Nature hath brought forth :forafmuch as fome are of o^inion^ That they breath not^e 

 ' yet have any blood at all. 



Chap. i. 



Of Inftdsin generalU I 



I Any and funclric forts there be of Infedlsjas well among land creatures as thofe 

 that flic in the aire. Some are winged, as Bees: fome have partly wings and 

 partly feet, as Pifiniers : others wantboih^ and neither flie nor goe on their 

 feet. And well may they all be called InfeCla : by reafonof thole cuts and di- 

 vifions, which fome have about the necke, others in die breaft and belly ; the 

 which doc goe round and part the members of the bodicj hanging togither 

 only by a little pipe and fiftulous conveiance. There be of them, that have not the bodie divided 

 entire, one part horn the other by thefe incifures^cuts , and wrinkles ; but they appeare onely ei- 

 ther under the bellie, or upon the backe above, and go no deeper, neither yet round the whole |j 

 compafTeof the bodie. But amanlTiall perceive in them certaine rings or circlcs,apt to bend 

 and wind to and fro,& thofe fo plated and plaited one over another,that m no thing ellewhere,is 

 more fecn the workmanfliip of Nature^than in the artificiall eompofition of thefe iiiile bodies. 



Chap. ii. 



^ The indtiHrie and fubtiltie of Nature in framing thefe Infe&s, 



IN bodies of any bigne jre,or at leallwife in thofe of the greater fort;^^^ature had no hard peece 

 of worke to procreat,forme,and bring all parts toperfe(Slion \ by reafon that ihe matter wher- ' 

 of they be wrought, is pliable and will follow as fbe would have it. But in thefe fo little bodies, £ 

 (nay prickes and fpecks rather than bodies indeed) how can one comprehend the reafon, tlx 

 power,and the inexplicable perfeaion that Nature hath therein ihewed ? How hath fhe befiow- 

 cd all the five fenfes in a Gnat ? and yet fome there be,leffe creatures than they. But (1 fay) where 

 hath fhe made the feat of the eies to fee before it ? where hath fhe fet and difpofed the taft?where 

 hath fhee placed and inferred the inflrument and organ of fmelling ? and above all, where hath 

 fhe difpoled that dreadfull and terrible noife that it maketh, that wonderfull great found (I fay) 

 in proportion of fo little a bodyPCan there be devifed a thing more finely & cunningly wrought 

 than the wings fet to her bodie ? Marke what long-fharJked legs above ordinarie fliec hath given 

 unto them. See how fhee hath let that hungrie hollow concavitic in fiead of a belly : and hath 

 made the fame fothirfiie and greedie after bipod, and mans elpecially. Come to the weapon M 

 thatithath to pricke, pierce, and enter through theskin^ how artificially bath fhee pointed and 

 fliarpencdit ? And bcingfo little as it is, (as hardly the fincnefle thereof cannot be feen) yet as if 

 it were of bignes and capacitie anfwerable, framed it ilie hath mofl cunningly for a twofold ufe : 

 to wit^moftfbarpe pointed J to pricke and enter 5 and withall^ hollow like apipefor lofucke in 

 \ Z ' ' ' and 



