C 4^^S ) 
#i^rv ;Odiers have thought them to have their birth from weeds 
hanging down from the banks i^to ponds and ;i^iversv Oihers 
it be Bear the raatterj yet it is rejeded by ^^M^o^^^^j himfelf, 
as the moft unlikely* 
They have been found in a cold and good fpfingj and clfc- 
wherej (whiGh is a woader^ faith Aldrovandus 3 ) upon a feafe in a 
Garden. And thisj which was there found , was 5 or 6 fiDgers«. 
breadth lorig-'tte thicknefs of a briftle Horle^hair^ with a dusk« 
ifli back^ and a white belly 5 and the tail oil every fide white, 
i hvj {idXih'Aldrovandus) a blsck one thicker than the whi^ 
tiihdoe. Other Authors o t her wife defer ibe thtm^n^Bertrutim^ 
Albertus.^c^ Some affirming them to have been a cubiclong^ 
otherSjtwo cubits^ others, 9 inches loijg at the leafl : that they 
are White of colour^and fo hard as fcarce so tx^ cruflied with pnes 
foot : to be every where of the fame thicknefs / that they move 
not as^ormesmovej but fna^e-li^e^ and knit themfelyes up iiito 
knots : that their skin is'One continued thing wichouf fhclfiires; 
and therefore fome would exclude them from the infeft-kirid : 
that they have iio headj but fwim both waies.aod therefore may 
be called amphifbma ^^'^^^^Vs/ihatthey irf poyfdDjdruh^ 
into the ftomack^ but not venom to the touch. 
And thus much out of Jldrovandtis concerning the naaie of 
this Infeda ^he place ofifs 'bfrth afnd origin^t , the pfiice where 
tliey are to be found^' its d efcriptioo ^ different fpecies ^ nature,' 
poyfon &c. 
Ourobfervation is this. JpriL 2. there was thrown up out 
of the ground of my Garden^in digging atiid:lgft other things of 
this nature , a certain cole^ black Beetle of a midlefizej ^nd fla^' 
fhapCj^and which 1 have obierved elfe where cormBOB 
Thefe Beetles I diffecSted upon the account of fome coriofi'ty ^ 
wherein I had a mind to fatisfy myfelf. But I was forprifed.to find 
^in rheir fwoilen beUies ^fthek Hammrmes ^ iii fome three^ in 
others but one only. Thefe p^Wtolars ' we barefnny noted:!. 
That upon the ihcifion they era wi'd forth,of themfcIve?. 2. That 
spurting them itito waterjtheyiivedin it niany daies.and did feera 
to endeavoiir to efcape by lifting up their heads mt of the wa« 
ter, aiid faftning them to thefide of the veffels^ very ^lainfy 
drawing the reft oftheir Jbody forward, 3. That they caniiGt be, 
S s s s faid 
