And lastly, although they had neither eyes nor sight, yet could they not be termed blind. For blindness being a private term unto sight, this appellation is not admittible in propriety of speech, and will overthrow the doctrine of privations; which presuppose positive forms or habits, and are not indefinite negations, denying in all subjects, but such alone wherein the positive habits are in their proper nature, and placed without repugnancy. So do we improperly say a mole is blind, if we deny it the organs or a capacity of vision from its created nature; so when the text of John had said, that person was blind from his nativity, whose cecity our Saviour cured, it was not warrantable in Nonnus to say he had no eyes at all, as in the judgment of Heinsius, he describeth in his paraphrase; and as some ancient fathers affirm, that by this miracle they were created in him. And so though the sense may be accepted, that proverb must be candidly interpreted, which maketh fishes mute; and calls them silent which have no voice in nature.

Now this conceit is erected upon a misapprehension or mistake in the symptoms of vision; men confounding abo lishment, diminution, and depravement, and naming that an abolition of sight, which indeed is but an abatement. For if vision be abolished, it is called cæcitas, or blindness; if depraved, and receive its objects erroneously, hallucination; if diminished, hebetudo visus, caligatio, or dimness. Now instead of a diminution or imperfect vision in the mole, we affirm an abolition or total privation; instead of a caligation or dimness, we conclude a cecity or blindness. Which hath been frequently inferred concerning other ani mals. So some affirm the water-rat is blind, so Sammonicus and Nicander do call the mus araneus, the shrew or ranney, blind. And because darkness was before light, the Egyp tians worshipped the same. So are cæcilia or slow-worms accounted blind:8 and the like we affirm proverbially of the

a private term unto sight.] "A term expressing privation of sight" 7 ranney.] This is the very word, araneus; castinge away the first and turning the Latine termination of eus into our English form. -Wr.

a,

8 So some affirm, &c.] Erroneously.-Neither the water-rat, shrew, nor the slow-worm is blind. The eyes of the former are very small, and (especially in the shrew) much concealed by fur. Bewick

beetle; although their eyes be evident, and they will fly against lights, like many other insects; and though also Aristotle determines, that the eyes are apparent in all flying insects, though other senses be obscure, and not perceptible at all. And if from a diminution we may infer a total privation, or affirm that other animals are blind which do not acutely see, or comparatively unto others, we shall condemn unto blindness many not so esteemed; for such as have corneous or horny eyes, as lobsters and crustaceous animals, are generally dim-sighted; all insects that have antennæ, or long horns to feel out their way, as butterflies and locusts; or their fore-legs so disposed, that they much advance before their heads, as may be observed in spiders; and if the eagle were judge, we might be blind ourselves. The expression therefore of Scripture in the story of Jacob, is surely without circumspection: "And it came to pass, when Jacob was old and his eyes were dim," quando caligarunt oculi, saith Jerome and Tremellius, which are expressions of diminution, and not of absolute privation.

Other concerns there are of moles, which, though not commonly opinioned, are not commonly enough considered: as the peculiar formation of their feet, the slender ossa jugalia, and dog-teeth, and how hard it is to keep them alive out of the earth. As also the ferity and voracity of these animals; for though they be contented with roots, and stringy parts of plants, or worms under ground, yet when they are above it, they will sometimes tear and eat one another, and in a large glass wherein a mole, a toad, and a viper were inclosed, we have known the mole to dispatch them, and to devour a good part of them both.9

says, that the water-shrew (Sorex fodiens) is called in Lincolnshire the blind mouse. The slow-worm is more commonly called the blind-worm, Anguis fragilis.

Other concerns, &c.] This paragraph first added in 6th edition.

CHAPTER XIX.

That Lampreys have many eyes.

WHETHER lampreys have nine eyes, as is received, we durst refer it unto Polyphemus, who had but one to judge it. An error concerning eyes, occasioned by the error of eyes; deduced from the appearance of divers cavities or holes on either side, which some call eyes that carelessly behold them; and is not only refutable by experience, but also repugnant unto reason. For, beside the monstrosity they fasten unto nature, in contriving many eyes, who hath made but two unto any animal, that is, one of each side, according to the division of the brain; it were a superfluous inartificial act to place and settle so many in one plane; for the two extremes would sufficiently perform the office of sight without the help of the intermediate eyes, and behold as much as all seven joined together. For the visible base of the object would be defined by these two; and the middle eyes, although they behold the same thing, yet could they not behold so much thereof as these; so were it no advantage unto man to have a third eye between those two he hath already; and the fiction of Argus seems more reasonable than this; for though he had many eyes, yet were they placed in circum ference and positions of advantage, and so are they placed in several lines in spiders.

Again, these cavities which men call eyes are seated out of the head, and where the gills of other fish are placed; containing no organs of sight, nor having any communication with the brain. Now all sense proceeding from the brain, and that being placed (as Galen observeth) in the upper part of the body, for the fitter situation of the eyes, and conveniency required unto sight; it is not reasonable to imagine that they are anywhere else, or deserve that name which are seated in other parts. And therefore, we relinquish as fabulous what is delivered of sternophthalmi, or men with

1 holes on either side.] These are the bronchial apertures, of which the lamprey has seven on each side.—It has two eyes; but it is remark able that there are no holes in the skin, but only transparent round spots, over the eyes.

Α

eyes in their breast; and when it is said by Solomon, "A wise man's eyes are in his head," it is to be taken in a second sense, and affordeth no objection. True it is, that the eyes of animals are seated with some difference, but in sanguineous animals in the head, and that more forward than the ear or hole of hearing. In quadrupeds, in regard of the figure of their heads, they are placed at some distance; in latirostrous and flat-billed birds they are more laterally seated; and therefore, when they look intently they turn one eye upon the object; and can convert their heads to see before and behind, and to behold two opposite points at once. But at a more easy distance are they situated in man, and in the same circumference with the ear; for if one foot of the compass be placed upon the crown, a circle described thereby will intersect, or pass over both the ears.

The error in this conceit consists in the ignorance of these cavities, and their proper use in nature; for this is a particular disposure of parts, and a peculiar conformation whereby these holes and sluices supply the defect of gills, and are assisted by the conduit in the head; for, like cetaceous animals and whales, the lamprey hath a fistula, spout or pipe at the back part of the head, whereat it spurts out water. Nor is it only singular in this formation, but also in many other; as in defect of bones, whereof it hath not one, and for the spine or backbone, a cartilaginous substance without any spondyles, processes, or protuberance whatsoever. As also in the provision which nature hath made for the heart; which in this animal is very strangely secured, and lies immured in a cartilage or gristly substance. And lastly, in the colour of the liver; which is in the male of an excellent grass-green, but of a deeper colour in the female, and will communicate a fresh and durable verdure.

CHAPTER XX.

That Snails have two eyes.

WHETHER Snails have eyes some learned men have doubted.2 For Scaliger terms them but imitations of eyes, and Aristotle upon consequence denieth them, when he affirms that testaceous animals have no eyes. But this now seems sufficiently asserted by the help of exquisite glasses, which discover those black and atramentous spots or globules to be their eyes.4

2 Whether snails, &c.] The snayle hath but 3 senses, that is, the touch, the smell, and the tast; he sees not, he hears not. The touch is principally in his hornes; the smel and taste in his mouth, in which I found he hath a little black toung not bigger then a hair, with which he frets herbes, bread, and all things that he fastens upon for foode, as I once made a visible and certaine experiment.-Br.

3 Aristotle, &c.] Mr. E. W. Brayley, jun., in a very elaborate and highly interesting paper, in the second volume of the Zoological Journal, has very successfully advocated this opinion of the great father of zoology; and after detailing the various opinions (or rather enquiries) of the most able modern naturalists, he concludes by stating his opinion that Aristotle was right in believing that all the testaceous molusca are without the organ and sense of sight, and that the feelers of snails are only organs endued with the most delicate sense of touch and feeling. In a note, however, Mr. Brayley suggests that as they are certainly capable of conveying to the sensorium a perception of those vibrations of air, which impart to more perfect animals the sense of sound, so they may also ". convey a perception of those undulations of the luminiferous ether, which (adopting the Huygenian undulatory theory of light, as revived and explained by Dr. T. Young), enable those animals which possess true eyes to enjoy the sense of vision !"

4 But this now seems, &c.] This sentence was substituted, in the 6th edition, for the following passage. "And for my own part, after much enquiry, I am not satisfied that these are eyes, or that those black and atramentous spots which seem to represent them are any ocular realities for if any object be presented unto them, they will sometimes seem to decline it, and sometimes run against it; if also these black extremities, or presumed eyes be clipped off, they will notwithstanding make use of their protrusions or horns, and poke out their way as before again, if they were eyes or instruments of vision, they would have their originals in the head, and from thence derive their motive and optic organs, but their roots and first extremities are seated low upon the sides of the back, as may be perceived in the whiter sort of snails when they retract them."