118 The BOOK of 
and knowledge, might take upon himfelf the 
care of nourifhing its progeny. | 
Since therefore this creature aflumes its wing- 
ed form only to propagate its fpecies, it follows, 
that when this is done, its death is naturally 
near at hand, and for this purpofe it feems to 
Ni AO TY WO RUE 3 actor, 
remain three years hidden in the water and 
mud, and to undergo after that time its change, 
and get wings in that form living, till this eae 
finefs of generation is performed, and then it 
dies. | 
ES Loi Sal 
That the Ephemerus kind flies three days and fometimes four : certain other fpecies 
thereof are alfo decribed. 
WHAT the Ephemeri are changing and 
flying during three days continually, is 
known to all who live near the rivers, famous 
for this annual miracle; I have obferved them 
flying the fourth ; nay, even the fifth day, but 
then very few in number. Thefe were a fuc- 
ceffion of the infeéts hatched one after another, 
and hence I think thefe had been Worms of 
the fame year, the wings whereof had acquired 
their maturity {omewhat flower than fome others ; 
and that thefe latter were fick, or prevented 
_ by fome other impediment, which hindered 
their change in the appointed time. As, on 
the other hand, it is certain that the transfor- 
mation of the Worms of this {pecies, which 
are changed before their time, happens on ac- 
count of their wings and other parts being per- 
fected earlier than natural. As this may an¢ 
certainly does happen in all the infect kinds, I 
fee no reafon why the Ephemerus fhould not 
fometimes be produced in its winged frm, 
fome days fooner or later than the ftrict ume, 
fince it is certain from experience tbat the 
general change of them may happen /ourteen 
days fooner or later, as the feafon of the year 
favours it more or lefs. 
If weattentively confider the things that have 
been here related of the Ephemerus, it is evi- 
dent that Mouffet {peaks truth, when he fays, 
‘© The Ephemeron, or Diaria is a wonderful 
«¢ Fly, whether we confider its make or the 
« fhortnefs of its life.” But fome of the other 
particulars related of this infect bythis author, as 
well as by Aldrovandus, Johnfon, Clutius, and 
others, who are cited by all the latter writers, 
do not much correfpond with the truth. Far 
be it from'me to reprehend or animadvert on 
others in thefe matters; fince it is poffible that 
thefe gentlemen might have defcribed a diffe- 
rent Ephemerus from mine, as there are vari- 
ous fpecies. Befides, nature, or her author 
God, is perfectly inexhauftible in the make, 
properties and difpofition of thefe crea- 
tures. I fhall only recommend it to any who 
fhall be defirous of knowing the truth, to con- 
fult the infe@ts themfelves; for nature far fur- 
pafles all the writings and treaties that can be 
compiled, and in this and all other cafes will 
teach more in one inftant of time than any one 
can learn in a long feries of years out of the 
beit library. 
It aftonifhed me to fee in a book written by 
Augerius Clutius, that Dortmannus there ex- 
hibited a figure of the Ephemerus, devifed upon 
a weak and erring memory, or feigned from 
mere imagination. Goedaert having obferved 
this, and being furnifhed with many more ob- 
fervations of that kind, undertook to amend it 
of his own pleafure, but without fuccefs ; fince 
he changed nothing but what appeared to his 
fancy to be improper, and left the whole figure 
of the infeét, which was delineated from me- 
mory only, altogether incorrect. As he at- 
tempted to correct thefe errors from his own 
imagination, it fhould feem to follow that he 
multiplied them, although he rendered them 
more feemingly like the truth. Indeed Goe- 
daert himfelf owns he never {aw this infe@t. 
While I was engaged in inveftigating the 
nature of this infect, I met with various {pecies 
of it at different times, but I never had the 
good fortune to fee the Ephemerus of Hoefna- 
gel, which Clutius delineates ; and which is 
found alfo among the figures of Hoefnagel. 
But I once found its Nymph troden upon in 
the road that goes by the lake of Deimermeer. 
T at that time thought it had its origin froma 
kind of blackith and toothed water Worm, 
which has a clofely corrugated or wrinkled 
skin; fince the latter having attained its full 
bignefs, leaves the water, and betaking itfelf 
to land, is there changed into a Nymph, which 
in procefs of time, perhaps, acquires the form 
of the Ephemerus delineated by Hoefnagel. 
This Ephemerus afterwards throws its eggs 
into the water, which is the cafe with many 
other infects, and with feveral other {fpe- 
cies of the Ephemerus which I can fhew. | 1 
faw and took fome of thofe {pecies in the river 
Loire at Saumeur in France. ‘Thefe do not 
differ in their general form from the Epheme- 
rus of our country, but they are lefs, and of a 
fomewhat different ftructure. I have feen great 
fwarms of thefe flying, when I chanced to 
walk in the evening on the bridge that is over 
the river at Saumeur. Some of thefe carried 
about them their fecond skin ftill fticking to 
their tails, as they flew up and down above the 
bridge. I have nothing farther to fay of this 
kind, or of all other fpecies which I preferve, 
only that fome of them are as fhort lived as 
our Ephemerus, which I have been hitherto 
defcribing, 
+. eee 
