Cap. XIV. T^CaribbyJflands. 8; 



cc tural thread of filver : thecompartiments were cTifpos'd with 

 " fuch an exadt obfervance of Symmetry, that a man would 

 cc thirlk that the Compafs and the Pencil had in the doing of it 

 <c employ 'd all the rules of Perfpeclive , and theShadows of 

 " Painting ■: The neather part of the body was of the fame co- 

 "lour with the head, fave that there were fix black feet neatly 

 <c bending towards the belly : When the wings,which were hat d 

 <c and foiid, were fpread abroad, there might be leen two other 

 tc lefTer wings which were thinner then any fiikj and as red as 

 " Scarlet. This kind of Fly I faw in the Iiland of S. Croix , in 

 "the enftody of aa-Eftglip Gentleman, and I immediately 

 <c Writ down this defcription of it. I thought at fit fl it had 

 ec been artificial, becaufe of that lively Carnation colour, and 

 cc the firing of filver 3 but having taken it into my hands, I 

 cc acknowledg'd that Nature muft certainly have been in an 

 cc excellent good humor, and had a mind to divert her felf, 

 when (he beftow'd fuch fumptuous robes on that little Queen 

 " among the Infe&s. 



PALMER-WORM. 



'"TT^Here is a Worm, or Vermine in EngliQi called a Palmer, 

 Jt in French MiUepied^ (thoufand footed) from the almoit 

 infinite multitude of its feet, whichareas bridles under his bo- 

 dy, and help him to creep along the ground with incredible 

 fvviftnefs, especially when he finds himfelf purfu'd : This kind 

 of Infecl: in the Caribbies is about fix inches long: The upper 

 part of his body iscover'dall over with fvvarthy fcales, which 

 are hard and joynted one within another, like the Tiles of a 

 Houfe: but what's dangerous in this creature, is, that he hath 

 a kind of claws both in his head and tail , wherewith he 

 twitches fo home, and fo poyfons the place wounded, that fbr 

 thefpaceof four and twenty hours, and fometimes longer, the 

 party hurt feels a very fharp pain. 



SPIDERS. 



THere are in feveral of the Iflands certain great Spites, 

 which fome have ranked among the Phalanges 0 by reafon 

 of their monftrous figure and bignefs, which is fo great, that 

 when their legs are fpread abroad they take up a larger place 

 then the Palm of a mans hand : their whole body confifts of 

 two parts, whereof one is flat, and the other of a round figure, 

 fmaller at one end, like a Pigeons egge : They have all of 

 them a hole on their back, which is, as it were, their Navel : 

 their mouth cannot eafily be difcern'd,becaufe it is in a manner 

 cover'd over with hair, which commonly is of a Hghr. grey, but 

 fometimes intermixt with red : it is armed with two fharp t&lhts 



M 2 which 



