1.Not far removed from fishes are REPTILES, so named from their creeping, or advancing on the belly. Many species of them have legs and feet, but very small in proportion to the body.

There is a world of contrivance in their motion. The whole body of the earth-worm, for instance, is a chain of annular muscles, or rather one continued spiral muscle, the orbicular fibres whereof being contracted, make each ring narrower and longer, by which means it is enabled, like the worm of an augre, to bore its passage into the earth. Its creeping may be explained by a wire, wound round a cylinder. If this is taken off, and one end extended and held fast, it will bring the other near it. So the worm having shot out its body, which is spiral, takes hold by its small feet, and so brings on the hinder part. Its feet ate placed in a four-fold row, the whole’ length of the worm. With these, as so many hooks, it fastens to the earth, or whatever it creeps over, sometimes this, sometimes that part of the body, and stretches out, or draws after it another, most eminent species of reptiles SERPENTS, which we may therefore particularly consider. Their bodies are of a very peculiar make, having a composition of bones articulated together. Here part of the body ‘is applied to the ground, and the other part shot forward, which being applied to the ground in its turn, brings the other after it. The spine of their back vari­ously writhed, helps their leaping, as the joints of the feet in other animals. They make their leaps by means of the muscles that extend the folds thereof.

The number of joints in the back-bone are numerous beyond what any one would imagine. In the generality of quadrupeds they amount to not above thirty or forty. In the serpent kind, they amount to a hundred and forty-five from the head to the vent, and twenty-five more from that to the tail. The number of these joints must give the back bone a surprising degree of pliancy: but this is still increased by the manner in which each of these joints is locked into the other. In men and beasts the fiat surfaces of the bones are laid one upon the other, and bound tight by sinews; but in serpents the bones play one within the other like ball and socket, so that they have a full motion upon each other in every direction. Thus if a man were to form a machine composed of so many joints as are in the back of a serpent, he would find it no easy matter to give it such strength and pliancy at the same time. ; The chain of a watch is but a bungling piece of work in comparison.

Though the number of joints in the back-bone is great, yet that of the ribs is still greater; for, from the head to the vent, there are two ribs to every joint, which makes their number two hundred and ninety in all. These ribs are furnished with muscles, which being inserted into the head, run along to the end of the tail, and give the animal great strength and agility.

The skin also’ contributes, to its motions, being composed of a number of scales united to each other by a transparent membrane, which grows harder as it grows older, until the animal changes, which is generally done twice a year. This cover then bursts near the head, and the serpent ‘creeps from it, by an undulatory motion, in a new skin, much more vivid than the former. If the old slough be then viewed, every scale will be distinctly seen like a piece of net work.

There is much geometrical neatness in the disposal of the serpents scales, for assisting the animal’s sinuous motion. As the edges of the foremost scales lie over the ends of the following, so these edges, when the scales are erected, which the animal has a power of doing in a small degree, catch in the ground, like the nails in the wheels of a chariot, and so promote and facilitate the animal’s progressive motion. The erecting these scales is by means of a multitude of distinct muscles, with which each is supplied, and one end of which is tacked each to the middle of the foregoing.

Serpents differ very widely as to size. The LYBOIJA of Surinam, grows to thirty-six feet long. The little serpent at the Cape of Good Hope is not above three inches, and covers whole sandy deserts with its multitudes! This tribe of animals, like that of fishes, seems to have no bounds put to their growth. Their bones are in a great measure cartilaginous; and they are consequently capable of great extention; the older, therefore, a serpent be comes, the larger it grows; and as they live to a great age, they arrive at an enormous size. Leguat assures us, that he saw one at Java, that was fifty feet long.

Vipers are often kept in boxes for six or eight months without any food whatever; and there are little serpents sometimes sent over to Europe, from Grand Cairo, that live for several years in glasses, and never eat at all, nor even stain the glass with their excrements. Thus the serpent tribe unite in themselves two very opposite qualities; wonderful abstinence, and yet incredible rapacity.

Serpents will swim a long time, but they cannot stay long under the water, without being suffocated. In winter they retire under stones, roots of trees, old walls, or any warm, dry shelter. Here they sleep half dead, though with their eyes open, till the returning sun recalls them to life.

3. Their BRAIN little differs from that of fishes: but their stomach very much. It is like a loose gut, which runs along, from the jaws quite to the tail. They have likewise solid ribs and vertebre, at small distances, from the neck to the end of the tail. Hereby they are enabled, to raise themselves up, to support, to writhe themselves into rings, to spring forward, and to suck or swallow any thing with surprising force. And their whole flesh is of so close and firm a texture, that they will live for some time, even after they are cut in pieces. There is nothing more harmless than the common snakes: they are as innocent as flies.

There is a great deal of geometrical nicety in the sinuous motion of serpents. For the assisting herein, the annular scales under their body, are very remarkable, lying across the belly, contrary to those in the back and the rest of the body. Also the edges of the foremost scales, lie over the edges of the following scales from head to tail. So that when each scale is drawn back, or set a little upright by its muscle, the outer edge of it is raised a little from the body, to lay hold on the earth, and to promote the serpent’s motion. But there is another admirable piece of mechanism, that every scale has a distinct muscle, one end of which is fixed to the middle of its scale, the other to the upper edge of the next scale. There is nothing peculiar in the generation of serpents, most of which are oviparous.

4. Vipers and many other’ serpents have small bags near the root of their teeth, which contain the POISON. When they bite, this is squeezed out, by the compression of those bags. If they are taken out of a viper, the liquid they contain mixed with the blood of an animal, causes death. But if taken in by the mouth, it does no harm, losing its efficacy by mixing with other liquids.

A viper has the biggest and flatest head of all the serpent kind. It is usually half an ell long and an inch thick, with a snout not unlike that of a hog. It has sixteen small teeth one row; beside two large, sharp, hooked, hollow, transparent teeth, placed at each side of the lower jaw. These convey the poison into the wound, through a long slit. They are flexible, and then only raised, when the viper is going to bite. The roots of them are encompassed with a little bladder, containing a large drop of yellow insipid juice. The slit is a little below the point of the teeth, which are not hollow to the top. Hence arise all those dreadful symptoms, which frequently end in death. But they are all prevented or removed, by rubbing oil upon the wound.

Vipers creep but slowly, and never leap or bite, unless provoked. They are of a yellowish colour, speckled with longish brown spots. The belly is of the colour of well polished steel. Other serpents lay eggs; the female viper only brings forth her young alive, wrapt up in skins, which break on the third day, and set them at liberty.

The venom of a viper is not mortal to a sound and robust body though attended with painful swellings, violent vomitings, fren­sies, and convulsions. In eight or ten days; the poison having run through divers parts of the body, throws itself into the scrotum, and swelling it extremely, causes great heat, and much urine, very hot and sharp, by which it is discharged, this being the certain crisis of the disease.

But a sickly or fearful person, bit ‘by a viper, surely dies, if there be not speedy help. Any one bit, in two or three days weighs almost as much more as he did before. ‘Who can account for this

It is remarkable, that the youngest vipers are provided with poisonous teeth grown to perfection, commensurate to their bulk; that so they may be able to kill their prey and feed themselves, as soon as they are born.

The poison of a rattle-snake is equally fatal and more swift in its operation; for it frequently kills within an hour. The snake is in some places 15 feet long.* But whenever it moves in order to bite, the tail begins to rattle: and that considerably loud; so that a man, if be has presence of mind, may easily get out of its way. When it bites a hare, lie is observed to lick her all over before he takes her into his mouth: probably, that having moistened and smoothed her skin, he may the more easily swallow her.

It is very remarkable, that he frequently stays under a tree, on which a bird or squirrel is hopping about, with his mouth wide

The American rattle.snake is seldom more than four feet in length.

open. And the event constantly is, the creature in awhile drops into it. Sir Hans Sloane thinks, he has wounded it first: and that he then waits under the tree till the poison works, and the animal’ ‘drops down into the mouth of its executioner.

But this is not the case, as plainly appears, from what many have been witnesses of. A swallow, pursuing his prey in the air, if he casts his eye on a snake beneath him, waiting with his mouth wide open, alters his course, and flutters over him in the utmost consternation, till sinking gradually lower and lower, he at last drops into his mouth.

To the same purpose is the famous experiment of Dr. Spren­ger, mentioned in the Hamburgh magazine. He let loose a mouse on the ground, at a little distance from a common snake. It made a few turns, and squeaked a little, and then ran directly into the mouth, of the snake, which all the while lay still, and without motion.

The rattle-snake, being less nimble than others, would find difficulty in getting its prey, were it not for the singular provision made, by the rattle in his tail. When he sees a squirrel or bird on a tree, lie gets to the bottom, and shakes this instrument. The creature looking down, sees the terible eye of the. snakebent full upon it. It trembles, and never attempts to escape, but keeps its eye upon the destroyer, till tired with hopping from bough to bough, it falls down, and is devoured. Indeed the same power is in the viper. The field-mice, and other animals, which are its natural food, if they have once seen his eyes, never escape, but either stand still or run into its mouth.

But vipers in general will not eat, after they are under confinement. The viper-catchers throw them together into great bins, where they live many months, though they eat nothing. It is only a female viper, when big with young, that will eat during its confinement. If a mouse be thrown into the bin, at the bottom of which forty or fifty vipers are crawling, among which one is with young, she alone will meddle with it, and. She not immediately. The rest pass it by, without any regard, though it be their natural food. But the female, after she has done this several times, will at length begin to eye it. Yet she passes by it again, but soon after stops short, and holding her head facing that of the mouse, seems ready to dart at it, which however she never does, but opens her mouth, and brandishes her tongue. Her eyes having now met those of the mouse, she never looses sight of it more; but they face one another, and the viper advances with her open mouth, nearer and nearer, till without making any leap, she takes in the head, and afterward the whole body.

A common snake will avoid a man; but a rattle-snake never turns out of the way. His eye has something so terrible in it, that, there is no looking stedfastly at him. But lie creeps very slow, ‘with his head close to the ground, so that one may easily get out of his way’. His leaping is no’ more than uncoiling himself, so that a man is in no danger, if he is not within the length of the snake. Neither can he do any harm, unless he first coil, and then uncoil himself; but both these are done in a moment.

The noise they make is not owing, as some imagine, to little bones lodged in their tails. But their tail is composed of joints that lap over one another, like a lobster’s, and they make that noise by striking them one upon another. I his is loudest in fair weather; in rainy weather they make no noise at a!!. It is remarkable, that whenever a single snake rattles, all that are within hearing ‘rattle in like manner.

Of how extremely penetrating a nature is their poison! A man provocking one of them to bite the edge of his broad-axe, the colour of the steeled part presently changed: and at the first stroke he made with it in his work, the discoloured part broke out, leaving a gap in the axe.

A gentleman in Virginia has lately given a particular account of what he felt after being bit by one of them.

“Hearing,” says he, “a bell upon the top of a steep hill, which I knew to be on one of the cows of the people where I then quar­tered, I went right up the hill; but near the top my foot slipped, arid brought me down upon my knees. I laid my hand on a broad stone to stay myself; I suppose the snake lay on the other side, who bit my hand in an instant, then slid under the ground, and sounded his rattles. But I soon found him, crushed his head to pieces with a stone, took him up in my left hand, and ran home, sucking the wound on my right hand, and spitting Out the poison. This kept it easy: but my tongue and my lips grew stiff and numb, as if they were froze. When I came home, one presently ripped’ a fowl open, and bound it upon my hand. This eased me a little. I kept my elbow bent and my fingers up, which kept the poison from my arm. Another bruised some turmeric, and bound it round my arm, to keep the poison in my hand. This kept my arm easy for some hours; and my hand, though numb, was not much sweller, nor even painful: but about midnight it puffed up on a sudden, and grew furious, till I slit my fingers with a razor. I also slit the back of my hand, and cupped it, and drew out a quart of slimy stuff; yet my arm swelled. Then I got it tied so fast, that it was almost void of feeling. Yet would it work, writhe, jump, and twine like a snake, change colours, and be spotted. And the spots moved to and fro upon the arm, which grew pain­ful at the bone. All things were applied for two days which could be thought on; but without effect, till the ashes of white ash-bark, made into a plaster with vinegar, drew out the poison. We then untied the arm; but within two hours all my right side turned black. Yet it did not swell, nor pain me. I bled at the mouth soon after, and continued bleeding and feverish four days. The pain raged in my arm, and I was by times delicious for an hour or two. After nine days the fever went; but my hand and arm were spotted like a snake all the summer. In autumn my arm swelled, gathered, and burst, so away went poison, Spots and all.

“But the most surprising circumstance was my dreams. In all sickness before, these were always pleasant. But now all were horrid. Often I was roIling among old logs; sometimes I was a white oak cut in pieces. Frequently my feet would be growing into two hickory trees so that it was a terror to me, to think of going to sleep.”

5. There is a wonderful provision made for those snakes, who are inhabitants of the waters. A WATER-SNAKE has no air­bladder like fishes: but to make amends for this want, it has a large membranous air-bag on its back, which it empties or fills with air at pleasure, by an aperture which it can shut so close, that the least globule of water cannot enter. By this means it can enlarge or lessen the bulk of its body, and inhabit any depth of water.

As for the SERPENT or THE WATERS, of which an account is gravely given, by the writer of the Natural History of Norway, which he talks of, as being five or six hundred yards long, and as rearing his head higher than the main mast of a man of war, I presume, it is very nearly related to the CRAKEN of the same author; a sea—monster, to which a whale is but a shrimp, larger than twenty men of war put together. And this our writers of magazines and reviews, swallow without any difficulty! Is it from the just judgment of God, that men who do not believe the Bible, will believe any thing

The king of all reptiles, which are known with any certainty, is the CROCODILE. There are sixty-two joints in the back bone, which, though very closely united, have sufficient play to enable the animal to bend like a bow to the right and the left; so that what we hear of escaping the creature, by turning out of the right line, and of the animal’s not being able to wheel after its prey,. seems to be fabulous. It is likely the crocodile can turn with great case; for the joints of its back are not stiffer than those of other animals: and we know by experience, it can wheel about very nimbly for its size.

It is probable, that the smell of musk, which all these animals cxhale, may render them agreeable to the savages of some parts of Africa. They are often known take the part of this animal, which contains the musk, and wear it as a perfume about their persons. Travellers are not agreed in what part of the body their musk-bags are contained; some say in the ears; some, in the parts of generation; but the most probable opinion is, that this musky substance is amassed in glands under the legs and arms.

The American crocodile, or allegator, is only fifteen or sixteen feet long. But those bred in Africa, or the East-Indies, are said to be between five-and-twenty and thirty. It may well be said of him, which cannot be said of the whale, that his scales are his pride: for on his back, as well as on his head, they are impene­trable as steel. No creature dares withstand him. “He is the king of the children of pride.” And as every female crocodile lays some hundreds of eggs at once, they would utterly dispeople the waters, were it not that the male devours all he can find of them. And so diligent is he in his search, that scarce one out of a hundred escapes him. It is another instance of divine mercy, that he cannot bite under water. By this circumstance, creatures that are able to dive, generally escape his ravenous jaws. It is a vulgar error, that he moves the upper jaw: lie moves the lower only.

The CAMELEON, as well as the allegator, is of the lizard-kind. Some in Egypt are twelve inches long; but the Arabian seldom exceeds six. He has four feet, and a long flat tail, whereby lie hangs on trees, as well as by his feet. His snout is long, his back sharp, and grained like shagreen. He has no ears, neither does he make or receive any sound. The tongue is half the length of the animal, round to the tip, which is fiat and hollow, somewhat like an elephant’s trunk. And this he darts out, and draws back with surprising swiftness. The great use of this is, to catch flies, which are its proper food; not the air, as is vulgarly thought, by darting it out upon them. Its colour is not always the same. One at Paris, when it was in the shade, and at rest, was of a bluish gray. In the sunshine, this changed to a darker gray, and its less illumined parts to various colours. When handled or stirred it appeared speckled with dark spots bordering upon green. If it was wrapt up a few minutes in a linen cloth, it was sometimes taken out whitish. But it did not take the colour of any other cloth or substance that enclosed it. So that its assuming all the colours it comes near, is a groundless imagination.

The cameleon at London was of several colours, like a mottled coat. The most discernible were, a green, a sandy yellow, and a liver colour. When stirred or warmed it was suddenly full of black spots, as big as a large pin’s head. But when it was quiet, they gradually disappeared.

There are four species of cameleons: 1. The Arabian, about the size of the green lizard. This is of a whitish colour, varie­gated with reddish and yellowish spots. 2. The Egyptian, which is of a middle hue, between a whitish and a faint green. 3. The Mexican. And, 4. A kind which has been frequently shewn in Europe, and differs from all the rest. His head is large: but he alters his body at pleasure, inflating it more or less : and not only his body, but his legs and tail. This is peculiar to him. The body, thus puffed up, will remain so two hours. But it is insensi bly sinking all the time. It can continue a long time in either of these states; but is generally uninflated. It then looks miserably lank and lean: its back bone may be seen perfectly, its ribs counted, and even the tendons of the feet distinctly Seen through the skin.

Its mouth is furnished with continued, denticulated bones: but it does not appeal- what use they are of, since it preys on flies, and swallows them whole, unless for holding a stick in its mouth crossways: which, according to Ælian, he frequently does, to pre­vent being swallowed by serpents. .

The structure and motion of his eyes are surprising. They appear to be large spheres of which one half stands out of the head, and is covered with a thick skin, perforated with a small hole at. top. Through this is seen a very vivid and bright pupil surrounded with a yellow il-is. This hole- is a longitudinal slit, which he opens more or less at pleasure. The motion of his eyes is not less singular. It can turn them, so as to see either forward, backward, or on either side, without moving the head at all, which is fixt to the shoulders. And he can give one eye all these motions, while the other is perfectly still. Each foot has five toes, all of one side, two behind and three before. He moves very slowly on the ground, but on trees more easily. Its tail is then its safety, as it twists it round the branches, when in any danger of falling.

But bow can so slow a creature catch tile most nimble sorts of insects What nature has denied it in agility, is abundantly supplied by other means. Its slow and easy motion renders it but little suspected at a distance. And when it comes within a proper space of its object, it stretches out its tail, poises its body, and fixes itself,, so as seldom to meet with a disappointment. When all is ready, it uncoils its long, slender tongue, and darts it so swift as scarce ever to miss its prey.

The common colour of the cameleons in Smyrna is green, toward the belly inclining to a yellow. But those in the ruins of the castle are greyish, like the stones among which they breed. One of them,, having been kept in a napkin, appeared whitish; but it never changed to red or blue, though wrapt in cloth of those colours for several hours together. On being handled or disturbed, it became stained with dark spots, bordering on green. Sometimes from a green all over, it became full of black spots: sometimes when it appeared black, green spots suddenly appeared. So far is it from being true, that it changed its colour, according to every object near it. Nor could we perceive this change to be any fixed law; it rather seemed spontaneous. This only was constant; being placed on green, it became green; being on the earth, it changed to the colour of earth.

Another uncommon creature of tile lizard kind is a SALAMAN­DER. This is supposed to live in fire; but without any ground. It is indeed generally found in the chinks of glass-houses, or near furnaces, where the heat is so great, that no other animal could endure it, without being destroyed in afe-v minutes But some years ago, the trial was made by several gentlemen, whether it could really live in fire. Some charcoal was kindled, and the animal laid upon the burning coals. Immediately it emitted a blackish liquor, which entirely quenched them. They lighted more coals, and laid it upon them. It quenched them a second time in the same manner. But being presently laid on a fire, it was in a short time burnt to ashes.

In many parts of Lower Egypt, there is a kind of lizard termed OOCAREL. It resembles a crocodile, only that it is but three or four feet long, and lives wholly on the land. As it is exceeding fond of the milk of ewes and she goats, it makes use of a remark­able expedient. It twists its long tail round the leg of the ewe or goat, and so sucks her at his leisure.

In most parts of Italy there are swarms of lizards, especially of the green kind. In the spring, hundreds of them are seen, basking on the roofs, and crawling up and down the walls of houses. They are very nimble, and have a bright sleek skin, and beautiful eyes, but are entirely harmless. The scorpions are not so; they harbour not only in old walls and under stones, but in every part of the house, especially the beds; and if touched, immediately sting. The sting of an Apulian scorpion, has the same effect with the bite of a tarantula. And it requires the same method of cure; only by different instruments, the flute and bagpipe in particular, with the brisk beat of a drum. But the common remedy against the sting of a scorpion is, to bruise the animal, and bind it on the wound.

6. With regard to water lizards, commonly called NEWTS, which most .people suppose to be venomous, they are harmless as land lizards, and are found in summer, in most shallow, stand­ing waters. One, who kept several of them in glass jars for many months, observes, in respect of that odd circumstance, casting their skins, they do this every fortnight or three weeks. A (lay or two before the change, the animal appears more slug­gish than usual, and takes no notice of its food, which at other times it devours greedily. The skin in some parts appears loose, and not of so lively a colour as before. It begins this work, by loosening with its fore feet, the skin about its jaws, pushing it forward gently and gradually both above and below the head, till it can slip out first one leg and then the other. Then it thrusts the skin backward as far as those legs, can reach. Next it rubs itself against pebbles, gravel or whatever else it can meet with, till more than half the body is freed from the skin: which then appears doubled back, covering the hinder part of tile body and tail. Then turning its head round to meet its tail, it takes hold of the skin ‘with its mouth, and Setting his feet thereon, by degrees pulls it off, drawing the hind legs out, as it did the fore legs. If you then examine the skin, it will be found inside outward, but without the least hole or breach, the part which covered the hind legs seemingly hike gloves turned inside out,. though entirely Perfect and unbroken. They do not however put off the coverings of their eyes, as most kinds of snakes do; for the skin of the newt has always two holes, at the places where the eyes have been. When the skin is off, if it be not soon taken away, the creature swallows it whole.

Many creatures, of very different kinds, put off their skins or shells at certain periods, and if we may guess at other shell fish by the fresh water shrimps, their shells are put off without any breach but one, lengthways in the middle of the belly part, through which the body, tail and claws are pulled out, and the shell left in a manner whole. In the insect tribe, the changes of caterpillars are well known. The spider throws off its skin as frequently, getting out of it by a rupture underneath, and leaving every claw entire ; and even the horny covering of his forceps. Even the mite casts its skin at several short periods, and nearly in the same manner.

A particular species of water lizards, abbe Spallanzani terms an AQUATIC SALAMANDER. Yet, he observes, this cannot bear any great degree either of heat or cold. But the most remarka­ble circumstance relating to it, is, that let its tail, legs or even jaws be cut away, and in a short time they are reproduced. The tail, beside a complete apparatus of nerves, muscles, glands, arteries and veins, has vertebræ of real bone. And their legs do not differ from those of the most perfect animals, in the number of bones, whereof they are composed.

7. Now, when the legs and tails of this animal are taken away, new vertebræ, new bones are produced: a phenomenon as won­derful as any hitherto known. This takes place in every known species of salamanders, at any period of their life, on the earth or in the water; and let the length of the divided parts be greater or less. Nor do tile constituent parts of the new tail differ from those of the part that was cut, either in number, structure or connection. But a whole year is scarce sufficient to render the new part equal to that which was cut off. Indeed the regenerat­ing power ceases during the winter half year.

When the part reproduced is cut off, it is succeeded by another, which proceeds in the same manner as the former, and this a second, a third or fourth time: the salamander still forming new parts by the same unalterable laws.

There are in the legs of a salamander ninety and nine bones. In the four regenerated legs there is the same number. The form and internal structure of the reproduced bones, and of the natural, are the same. But the colour of the new bones is some­what different, and their substance more tender. And all these parts are reproduced in the same manner and at the same time, the creature is fed, or kept fasting.

When their jaws are cut off, the same thing happens. New bones are reproduced, new teeth, new cartilages, veins and arteries. From the wonderful reproduction of SO many parts in this, may we not extend our inquiry to other animals of equally complicated structure Let us. inquire first concerning tad­poles. If the whole of their tails be cut off, they sink to the bottom of the water and perish. But if part only, they soon recover it. In one summer’s day the reproduction makes a rapid progress in young tadpoles. And in a short time, the new part’ of the tail and the old together, equal the tail of others born at the same time. A second, third and fourth reproduction constantly follows, upon a second, third or fourth section. Nay, successive regenerations never fail, as long as the tadpole keeps its tail.

If no nourishment is given to tadpoles, they do not grow, nor are the membranes of the infant state cast off. Yet the tails cut off, will be reproduced nearly in the same time.

If the head of an earth-worm be cut off, a new head is repro­duced. Nay, if both the head and tail are cut off from the middle part, both of them are reproduced. Nor is this regene­rating power soon exhausted. A second reproduction being cut off, is succeeded by a third, this by a fourth, that by a fifth, and so on.

The same thing takes place in another kind of worm, little known, which the abbe calls an AQUATIC BOAT-WORM. It is com­posed of rings like the earth-worm, which it shortens or lengthens at pleasure, and so moves from place to place. Toward the head it is as large as the largest goose-quill, and its length is about a span. It lives in shallow, clear water, either stagnated or flowing gently, fixing its fore part in the mud, whence it is nourished. The back part reaches the top of the water, and being stretched and hollowed, forms a kind of boat on the surface. Its sides rise above the water, so that none gets in. But on the least agitation of the water, the insect immediately shuts up his boat, and retires into the mud. When the motion is over, he again thrusts his tail out of the water, and makes his boat afresh, which remains entire till he is disturbed again. And this he does not fail to make, though the mud is removed, and he left with little water. It seems the organs of respiration are placed in this part, as they are in various sorts of aquatic animals.

These worms are quicker in their reproduction than earth­worms. They more easily recover their heads, as well as tails, and this power exerts itself throughout the whole year.

The case of the snail may seem still more strange. It can first reproduce its horns. After they have been cut off, the trunk becomes like a small knob, whence springs a black point, which is tile eye. The trunk then increases in length and size, till it equals the former horn.

If the head be cut off, a new one succeeds; but in a singular manner. If a worm’s head be cut off, the reproduction is an entire organic body; that is, a part in miniature exactly similar to that which was cut off. But what appears on the trunk of a snail, is not an entire organic body, containing in miniature all the parts of the head which were cut off: but these parts grow piece by piece at different intervals, and require time to unite and consolidate into one mass, resembling the original pattern. For instance: sometimes the reproduction is like a round, small body, containing the primary parts of the two lips, and of the small horns, which are united to the mouth, and to the new formed teeth. This round body is placed on the centre of the trunk. The large horns and the fore part of the snail, which in the entire animal are contiguous to the head, are wanting. Another trunk shews the larger horn on the right side, more than a tenth of an inch long, already provided with its eye. Under this, at some distance, the first lineaments of the lip appear. In a third snail arise three horns, two of which are of their natural length, while tile third is but just above the skin. Some shew nothing but the trunk, without any sign of reproduc­tion, although the head was taken off at the Same time with that of the others, from which are come forth such a number and variety of organs: on. the contrary, in some snails, there is no difference between tile old and the new head: only there is an ash-coloured line, pointing out exactly where the head was cut off.

That earth-worms feed upon earth, will be put beyond dispute, if any one is at the pains to examine the little curled heaps of dung, which are ejected out of their holes. But it is in all pro­bability, not pure earth, but such as is made of leaves, roots, and plants, when gradually rotted and moulded away. And what makes this the more probable, is, that -they are observed to drag’ the leaves of trees into their holes.

8. Both the whole TAPE-WORM, and every part of it, seems to be a complete animal. In every joint there is a mouth for receiv­ing food, and doubtless organs for digesting it. Single joints, as well as larger pieces, are frequently voided alive. All those pieces are almost equally turgid with chyle. Now it is not pro­bable, that a single worm should, in voiding, be broke in so many pieces: and had it been done some time before, they would be emaciated. There seems then to be an analogy, between this jointed worm and knotted grass; each joint of which is a com­plete plant, and propagates itself. It is indeed a zoophyton, a plant-animal, bred in animal bodies: since so large and frequent detruncations do not destroy the life of it.

9.Not only vegetables and animals have their respective insects, to which they afford food as well as habitation, but stones themselves. Those kind of worms, called, LITHOPHAGI, are a proof of this. One might think it incredible that these little creatures should subsist by gnawing stones. And yet nothing is more certain, these worm-eaten stones being found almost every where. These are generally lime-Stones. Grit and free-stone are seldom eaten in this manner. Yet there is an ancient wall of free-stone in the Benedictine abbey at Caen in Normandy, so eaten with worms, that one may put one’s hands into many of the Cavities. The worms are covered with a greenish shell, having fiat heads, a wide mouth, and four black jaws. And they lay their eggs in those cavities, which they gnaw in the stone.

One more reptile we may examine a little more minutely, in which the wisdom of God is not a little displayed. It is a com­mon LEECH. When this is at rest, its upper lip forms a regular semicircle. When he moves, this semicircle becomes two oblique lines, the junction of which makes an angle, which he ap­plies to whatever lie would fix himself to. The two lips then make a sort of hollow. Both these and its mouth are made of so supple fibres, that they take the figure of the part they are applied to, and fix perfectly close to it.

The wounds it makes are not punctures, but three cuts made like three rays, which uniting in a centre make equal angles with each other. They appear as if made by a fine lancet. They are indeed made by three rows of fine and sharp teeth, which the mi­croscope shews to be placed along the middle of a strong muscle. When the mouth has seized on any part, the muscle exerts its action, and strikes in all the teeth at once.

Between tile mouth and the stomach there is a small space, in which are two different arrangements of fibres. The one set are flat and plain, the others are circular. The former contracting in length, enlarge the capacity of the throat; and tile circular ones determine the blood toward the stomach, by contracting it when the blood is received. Hence it passes into a kind of mem­branous sack, which serves the animal both for stomach and in­testines. This takes up the greatest part of its body. On each side of this long canal there is a number of little bags. These, being filled with blood, swell out the body of tile animal to a large size. Here it remains for many months, and serves the creature for nourishment. If any thing is excreted, it can be only by insensible perspiration, since the creature has no anus, nor any aperture which can supply the place of one.

FROGS change their skins every eight days. TOADS, as well as frogs, are harmless, defenceless creatures, and their greatest crime is their ugliness.

Newly generated frogs, which fall to the bottom, remain there the whole day; but having lengthened themselves a little, for at first they are doubled up, they mount to the mucus which they had quitted, and feed upon it with great vivacity. The next day ihey acquire their TADPOLE form. In three days more they have little fringes, that serve as fins beneath the head, and these, four days after, assume a more perfect form. It is then they feed greedily Upon the pond-weed; and leaving their former food, on this they continue to subsist, till they arrive at maturity. When they come to be ninety-two days old, two small feet begin to Sprout near the tail; and the head appears to be separate from the body. Tile next clay the legs are considerably enlarged; four days after they refuse all vegetable food; their mouth ap­pears furnished with teeth; and their hinder legs are completely formed. In two days more the arms are completely produced, and now the frog is every way perfect, except that it still con­tinues to carry tile tail. In this odd situation the animal, resem­bling at once both a frog and a lizard, is seen frequently rising to the surface, not to take food, but to breathe. In this state it con­tinues for six or eight hours, and then tile tail dropping off, the animal appears in its perfect form.

Thus the frog, in less than a day, having changed its figure, changes its appetites also. So extraordinary is this transform­ation, that the food it fed upon so greedily but a few days before, is now utterly rejected. It would even starve, if supplied with no other. As soon as the animal acquires its perfect state, it becomes carnivorous, and lives entirely upon worms and insects. But as the water cannot supply these, it is obliged to quit its native element, and seek for food upon land, where it lives by hunting worms, and taking insects by surprise.

Concerning the toad,” says Mr. Arocott, “ that lived with us so many years, and was so great a favourite, the greatest curi­osity was its being so remarkably tame; it had frequented some steps before our hail door, some years before my acquaintance commenced with it, and had been admired by my father for its size (being the largest I ever met with), who constantly paid it a visit every evening. I knew it myself above thirty years: and, by constantly feeding it, brought it to be so tame that it always came tq the candle and looked up, as if expecting to be taken up and, brought upon the table, where I always fed it with insects of all sorts. It would follow them, and when within a proper distance, would fix its eyes, and remain motion less for near a quarter of a minute, as if preparing for the stroke, which was an instantaneous throwing its tongue at a great distance upon the insect, which stuck to the tip, by a glutinous matter. The motion is quicker than the eye can follow. I cannot say how long my father had been acquainted with the toad before I knew it; but when I was first acquainted with it, he used to mention it as the old toad. I have known it for thirty-six years. This toad made its appearance as soon as the warm weather came, and retired to some dry bank to repose till spring. When we new-laid the steps, I had two holes made in the third step, on each side, with an hollow of more than a yard long; in which I imagined it slept as it came from thence at its first appearance. It was seldom provoked. Neither that toad, nor the multitudes I have seen tormented with great cruelty, ever shewed the least desire of revenge. In the heat of the day toads come to the mouth of their hole; I believe for air.’ I once, from my parlour window, observed a large toad I had in the bank of a bowling-green, about twelve at noon, in a very hot day, very busy and active upon the grass. So uncommon an appearance made me go out to see what it was; when I found an innumerable swarm of winged ants had dropped round his hole, which temptation was irresistible. Had it not been for a tame raven, I make no doubt but it would have been now living. This bird one day seeing it. at the mouth of its hole, pulled it out, and although I rescued it, pulled out one eye, and hurt it so, that notwithstanding it lived a twelvemonth, it never enjoyed itself, and had a difficulty of taking its food, missing its mark for want of its eye.”

All toads are torpid and unvenomous, and seek the darkest re­treats, not from the malignity of their nature, but the multitude of their enemies.