E C H 
t*ne annular mufcle, and the prickly beards; the 
tail-part, on the other hand, begat the nobler or- 
gans; and, in lefs than three months, fent forth a 
head, a heart, and ail the apparatus and inftru- 
ments of generation. The completion of this laft 
part, as we may reafonably fuppofe, proved mrich 
more tardy than the former, a nev/ head requiring 
about three or four months in order to perfe6lion ; 
while a frelh tail arrived at it's full maturity in lefs 
than as many weeks. Thus two animals, by be- 
ing diffefted, were produced from one, each en- 
dowed with it's diftinft appetites, with perfe6t life 
and motion, and in every refpe£l as compleat as 
that fmgle one from which each derived it's ori- 
gin. 
The foregoing operation, performed on the 
Earth- Worm, obtained alfo with refpeil to many 
others of the vermicular tribe; namely, the Sea- 
Worm, the White- Worm, and many of thofe fmall 
ones with feelers, which are found at the bottoms 
of dirty ditches; in ail of which the nobler organs 
were of fo very little ufe, that, when removed, the 
animals did not feem at all fenfible of their lofs, 
for they lived in all their parts: and thus, by a 
ftrange paradox in nature, the mofl: ufelefs and 
contemptible lives are, of all others, extinguilhed 
v/ith the greateit'difficulty. 
The Earth- Worm, when full-grown, often mea- 
fures ten or more inches in length, and upwards of 
one-third of an inch in diam.eter; and it's colour is 
univerfally known to be a dufky red. But, be- 
fides the common Earth-Worm, there is another 
fpecies found in mud about the fea-fl:iores, which 
often grows upv^^ards of a foot long, and entirely 
refembles the former, except that it's colour is a 
paler red, and that it's fldn is covered with little 
prominences which render it rough and fcabrous 
to the touch. 
Earth-Worms are by fome accounted very effi- 
cacious in medicine, as diuretics, diaphoretics, and 
anodynes; they are alio efteemed difcutient, emol- 
lient, and deobftruent: and many are of opinion 
that they maybe prefcribed with fuccefs in apoplex- 
ies, fpafms, and other nervous affeflions ; as well as 
in the jaundice, dropfy, and colick. 
ECHENEIS. An appellation given by the 
ancients to fome kinds of the petromyza; and Ap- 
pian in particular evidently intends thereby to ex- 
prefs the common lamprey. 
ECHINODERMA. A term by which natu- 
ral ills frequently exprefs the echini marini, or fea- 
iirchin. 
ECHINOPHORA. A name given by Ron- 
deletius to a fpecies of fea-fnail of the round- 
mouthed kind, or clals of cochleas lunares ; but this 
author feems to confound the echini with his Echi- 
nophor?e. 
ECHINUS MARINUS, or SEA-URCHIN. 
A crenus of animals having; their bodies covered 
-with a futured cruft, who are often furniihed with 
mioveable fpines, and whofe mouths are quinque- 
valve and placed beneath. 
The Echinus, on a flightifli infpeftion, may 
be compared to the hufic ot a chefnut, being at 
once round, and befet with a great number of bony 
prickles projefting on every fide. The mouth 
is placed downwards; and the vent is fituated 
.above. The fhell, which is a hollow vafe refem- 
bling a fcooped apple, is filled with a foft mufcu- 
lar fubftance, through which the inteftines wind 
from the bottom to the top. The mouth is large, 
red; and furniJlKd with five fliarp teeth, which are 
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eafily difcerned; the jaws are ftrengthened by fivf: 
fmall bones, in the centre of which there is a fmall 
fiefhy tongue, whence the inteftines make a convo- 
lution of five fpires round the internal fides of the 
fliell, and end at the apex, where the excrements 
are excluded. But, what conftitute the moft re- 
markable parts of the conformation of this ani- 
mal, are it's horns and fpines, v/hich point from 
eveiy part of the body, and ferve at once as legs, 
arn-is, and inftrumients of annoyance and defence. 
Between thefe^ horns there are alfo fpines, which 
are not endowed with fuch a fhare of m.otion. The 
fpines are hard and prickly; and the horns, which 
are long and foft, and never feen but in the wa- 
ter, are protrtided and retraced like tliofe of the 
fnail, being concealed at the bafes of the fpines 
when not wanted for the more immediate fervice 
of the animal. All this apparat us, however, is only 
perceivable when the Echinus is bufied in hunting 
it's prey at the bottom of the water; for, in a very 
few minutes after it is caught, all the horns with- 
draw into the body, and the greateft part of the 
fpines drop off. 
It is generally fuppofed, that fuch creatures as 
have the greateft number of legs always move the 
floweft : but the Echinus feems to be an exception 
to this rule; for, though furnifhed with upwards 
of two thoufand fpines and twelve hundred horns, 
all ferving the purpofes of legs, and from their 
number feeming to impede each other's motion, 
it runs with no fmall degree of fwiftnefs at the 
bottom, and is frequently overtaken with difficulty, 
but generally at ebb-tide, either by means of an 
ofier bafl<et, or fimpiy with the hand. 
Some fpecies of Echini are reckoned as excel- 
lent food as lobfters; and their eggs, which are of 
a deep red colour, are confidered as a peculiar deli- 
cacy: but the flavour of others is very indifferent; 
and, except in the Mediterranean feas, they arc 
feldom fought for but as objedls of curiofity. 
Echinus, Edible. This fpecies, which is of 
an hemifpherical form, covered with flrarp ftrong 
fpines above half an inch long, commonly of a 
violet -colour, moveable, and adherent to fmall tu- 
bercles elegantly difpofed in rows, is often found 
in dredging, and frequently lodges in cavities of 
rocks juft within low-water mark. 
Echini of this fort at prefent conftitute the food 
of the poor in many parts of Britain, and alfo of 
thofe of the firft quality in fome foreign countries. 
In ancient times they were accounted very deli- 
cious, being ufually drefled v/ith vinegar, honied 
wine, parfiey, and mint; and, according to Athas- 
ncus, were perfeftly agreeable to the ftomach. 
They likewife compofed the principal difh at the 
famous fupper of Lentulus, when he was made 
Elamen Martialis, or Prieft of Mars; and, from 
fome of the concomitant difhes, they appear to 
have been intended as a whet to the appetites of 
the holy perfonages, priefts, and veftals, invited to 
this banquet, againft the fecond courfe. 
Echinus, Cordated. This animal, agreeably 
to it's name, is of a cordated fhape, gibbous at one 
end, and marked with a deep fuicus at the other 
covered with flender fpines refemibling briftles ; 
and the fliell is extremely fragile. 
Echinus, Oval, This fpecies, which is oval 
and deprelTed, is of a purpliflr colour on the top 
marked with a quatre foil, the intermediate fpaces 
being tuberculaced in wavy rows; and the lower 
fide is ftudded, and divided by two fmooth fpaces. 
This ftiell, which meafures four inches in length. 
and. 
