^ Plinies Natural! Hiftone. 



A and convcigh the bloiid through it. Come tothc Wood- wormc^ what manner of te^thhath 

 Nature given itjto bore holes and eat into the ve^rie heart of hard ol<e ? who hcareth s^lound 

 that {be maketh whiles ibe is at her worke ? in wood and timber is in manner aftber fee- 

 ding. We make a wonder at the monftrous and iiiightie Choulders of Elephants , able to carric 

 turrets upon them. Wee marveile at the ftrong and ftiffe necks of Bulls, and to kc how terribly 

 they will take up things and tofle them aloft into the aire with their homes . We kccpe a woon- 

 dring at the ravening of Ty gres^and the (hag manes of Lions : and yet in comparifon of thefe 

 InfeSsjthere is nothing wherein Nature and her whole power is more feene^ncither flieweth (he 

 her might more than in the leaft creatures of all. I would requeft therefore the readers, that in 

 perufingthistreatifCj they will not come withaprcjudicatc opinion,nor(becaufemany of thefe 



B fillie flies and wormes be contemptible in their eies) difdaine, loath, and conterane the reports 

 that I fliall make thereofjfeeing there is nothing either in Natures workes that may fecme luper- 

 fluousjor in her order unworthie our fpeculation. 



CnAPi III, 



^ whether Infers doe breathy and whether they have blood or no } 



Divers have denied that they breath at all 5and upon this reafbn they ground their pofition^ 

 Becaule they have no arterie or windpipe annexed or reaching to any inftrument within^ 

 ^ of rcfpiration. And they be of opinion j that they live indeed as plants, hearbs, and trees 

 C howbcit ((ay they) there is a great dinerencebecweene having life, and drawing wind or vital! 

 breath. And by the fame rule they affirme, thatthey have no bioud, which is in none that be 

 withoutheartandliver.Neither doe any things breath which want lungs . Andfrom hence ari- 

 feth a world of other queftions thereupon depending. For the fame men denie flatly, that thefe 

 creatures have any voice : notwithibnding fo great humming of Bees,& finging (bund of Graf- 

 hoppers, and fuch other/whereof wee will confider in due time and place, accordingly. Verily 

 tor mine owne part, the more I lookeintoNatures workes, the fooneram I induced to beleeve 

 of her even thofc things that feeme incredible. Neither doe I fee any inconvenience to beleeve, 

 that thefe In(ccl:s may as well draw wind and breath without lungs, as live without fuch noble 

 and principall parts as are requifitefor Hfe in other creatures: according as wee havealreadic 

 D fliewed in the di(courfe of fiihes and fuch Uke^ that live in the (ea 5 howfoever the quantitie, 

 depth, and heights of the water, may (eeme to impeach andrtop their breath. For who would 

 caiily beleeve, that fome creatures fliould flie at iibertie, and living as they doe in the mids of 

 wind and aire, yet want wind and breath themlelves ? that they n:iould have a fen(e and care to 

 leeke their living, to engender, to worke, and to forecaii for the time to come: and albeit thsy 

 have no d!(lin<3: member s,to carrie (as it v^?efe in a iliip) their (everallfenfeSjyet that they fhould 

 heare, (inell, and taft 5yea and be endued with other fingular gifts beiides of Nature, to wit, wif- 

 domcjcouiagejskilljand indufttie. Indeed, confeiTe I mu(l:,that bloud they have none: no more 

 have all creaiures that live upon the land : howbeit a moift humor they have,foniewhatlike unto 

 bloud,which lerveth them in ilead thereofXike as in Cuttles of the fea, there is found a certaine 

 E bUcke liquor in (lead of bloud : and in all the fort of Pilrples and fuch flielllinies,that excellent 

 juice which ftaineth and dicth fo as it doth * Semblably in thefe InfedSjwhatibever humour it is 

 whereby they live,che fame may well enough goe for bloud and (b be called : all the while that 

 every man hath Iibertie to give it what name he thinketh fittcfl. As for me, my purpofe is not to 

 judge and determine of thefe doubtfull quillets,and their eaufes: but tofecdowne and ilicw the 

 nature of fuch things as be cieare and apparent. • 



G H A p. 1 1 1 1. ■ 

 }^The fubjlance of the bodie in thefe Infects, 



F •nr^Hcfe Infers, fo farrc as a man may perceive, fecme not to have cither finewcs or bones, 

 I no chine nor griftle, no far, no flefh, ne yet fo much as a tender and biittle fhell, as fome 

 fea-(il"hes havc,nor that which may be truly called askin-but a certaine corporall(lib(bncc 

 of a middle nature between all thefe: for their bodie without, is like a drie thing, and yet more 

 tender and foft than a fincw : whereas in all other parts the matter is to be accounted rather drie 



than 



