68 
the fkin which covers the branches of corals, 
is almoft of the fame ftru€ture, and may like- 
wife be eafily feparated from the hard coralline 
fubftance underneath. Nay, the ends or tops of 
coral are alfo of the fame foftnefs ; and I have 
foundthem ftill tender after the coral had been 
out of the water fome months: this I have be- 
fore obferved in the letters that I wrote on coral. 
In the common water Snail I likewife faw here 
and there fome little round chryftalline parts, 
which I think were likewife globules of fand 
of the fame nature. In the ftraight gut of 
that Worm, out of which iffues the Gad-fly, 
I obferved fomething like this, as I fhall de- 
{cribe and reprefent when I come to. its 
hiftory. . 
When I afterwards opened the uterus, I 
was more aftonifhed: I found a fmall Snail 
in it *, in every refpect perfect, which had 
already broke out of its membranes, and fhewed 
the fame difpofition and the fame manners with 
the larger one its parent. ‘Thus I learned that 
this little creature brought forth young Snails 
alive, as big as common peafe, Tab. IX. fig. 
1x. a, which had their fhells and coverings 
pretty hard; and that they were likewife com- 
lete and perfect in all their parts. 
This fhell, fig. x. 4, afforded fo beautiful 
an appearance under the microfcope, that no- 
thing like it can be imagined, It was twifted 
into four fpiral parts, whereof the innermoft 
diminifhed its windings by degrees, until it 
ended in a pretty blunt point, almoft refem- 
bling atop. Moreover, the coat was covered 
with a periofteum, and was very elegantly and 
neatly adorned with feven rows of briftly 
hairs c, Sc. Some black {pots were here and 
there likewife feen, which were produced from 
the tranfparent body on the infide. It was 
further divided by many {potted or fpeckled 
little lines and other furrows ; and alfo by lit- 
tle ribs that were notched and full of filaments ; 
all which I have not delineated, left the figure 
thould have grown too big: not have J leifure 
enough at this time to enter upon fo many 
things. 
Thefe things convince me moft clearly, that 
the fhell or ftony covering of the body is the 
Snail’s real fkin; fince it has, even in. the 
uterus, not only its own proper coat, but its 
hair. We are taught from thence alfo, be- 
yond contradiction, that all thefe hard fub- 
tances are nourifhed and fuftained as well as 
the Snail’s fofter parts. For which reafon the 
ftony chryftalline little grains before defcribed, 
are fewer and {maller in the young and tender 
Snail than in the more grown one. 
I find this fhell, together with its animalcule, 
free and difengaged on every fide in the uterus, 
and not involved or rolled in fuch coats as form 
the fecundines. Hence one might, in-fome 
meafure doubt whether this part, which I 
call the uterus, were not rather the cefophagus, 
and fome of them had two dd. 
The BOOK of NATURES, of, 
and that therefore this animal had been only 
devoured by the Snail. But when I diflected 
another Snail, I found twelve perfect eggs 
therein, {ticking in the uterus ; each of which 
had its little navel-firing, Tab. IX. fig. x1. aa, 
The ftrings 
were fomewhat broader near the egg, but 
where they were connected with the uterus, 
they were like a {mall filament. ‘They ad+ 
hered almoft in the middle of the uterus to a 
{mall feam or future. — 
The fix firft eggs, which are placed in the 
fore part, each contained a Snail, however 
{mall, with its fhell and food; the little body 
of this Snail lay extended out of the {hell 
among the alimentary fubftance. The firft 
ege had a larger Snail, but the fecond, third; 
fourth and fifth afmaller. In the fixth F only 
faw a fmall point, the fhell whereof was not 
yet con{picuous. ie ; 
In the other fix little eges, which were 
fomewhat fmaller than thefe, there was no+ 
thing to be feen, becaufe their tendernefs 
made them tranfparent, and they were of one 
colour. On opening, them I found that there 
was a more tenacious liquor contained in them 
than in the former. 
The fix foremoft eggs were as big as com- 
mon peafe, and were invefted with a very ten- 
der and fine chorion and amnion, through 
which one might fee the Snail within ccc lan- 
guidly moving itfelf. Moreover, the whole 
amnion was filled with the moifture before- 
mentioned, which is the creature’s true nourifh- 
ment; and the Snail likewife fwam in the 
amnion, as the human fcetus does in the mo- 
ther’s womb. As the Snail grows bigger, this 
humour is diminifhed in proportion. 
When [had broken the membrane of an ege 
which contained one of the {malleft Snails, I 
found that the creature taken from thence, 
Tab. IX. fig. 11. d, was as big as the head of 
a common pin; but it did not move out of, 
nor go into its fhell: for its mufcles were yet 
too tender, and fome of its parts had been pro- 
bably broken off. 
If this egg was raifed or lifted up by its firing, 
the Snail within remained in its fituation with- 
out motion; but when the egg, which lay out 
of the uterus for one, two, or three days, was 
thus kept fufpended by its ftring, then the 
Snail within fell to the bottom of the mem- 
brane e which conftituted the egg. Hence 
one may conclude with certainty, that the 
clufter of veffels was broken’ on the infide, 
though it could not be {een, becaufe all things 
are here limpid, white, and very tender. ‘The 
humour or fluid itfelf, that is, the nutritious 
juice wherein the Snail {wims, is limpid, 
though it ftill approaches fomewhat to the 
colour of whey, and when put into the water 
it becomes more thick or muddy; but if it has . 
remained in the water fome days, then it ex- 
* Our countryman Dr. Lifter has diftinguifhed himéelf on the fubject of this viviparous Snail, His obfervations in general agree 
with thefe of this author, for ¢ruth is the fame in-whatever language it is written. 
RT gc ce 
Dalla: 
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