Essays in natural history and philosophy. Containing a series of discoveries, by the assistance of microscopes / By John Hill.

  • Hill, John, 1714?-1775.
Date:
1752
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Essays in natural history and philosophy. Containing a series of discoveries, by the assistance of microscopes / By John Hill. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    296/434 (page 284)
    It was with fome Difficulty, and after a great many fruitlefs Attempts, that we at length faw the Manner of its feizing and fecuring its Prey; as foon as it comes within Reach of a proper Animal it erects the Trunk* which before lay in a longitudinal Diredtion on the Belly, the whole pointed or brown Part is plung’d into the Creature, and the Point often reaches through. The two Pair of tranfverfe Bars arifing from it, enter with the Force of the Stroke, and by the lead Turn in the Direction of the Head, as they are remov’d out of the Direction in which they enter’d, nothing but the tearing a new Way for them through the Flefh of the Creature, can give the Trunk an Opportunity of getting out again ; this alone would be one Way of no little Power of fadening the Prey. But as the Crea¬ ture could have no Means of overtaking it again, if it fhould get loofe; and as the whole Strefs of the holding it lying thus on the Trunk, that necefiary Engine might be broken by fome more boiderous Animalcule, and all Means of Feeding would be loft with it. Nature has added the Affidance of all thefe Series of Legs. The Moment a Creature is druck by the Trunk, the Sides of the Body are bent inward, and the larged Legs, or thofe of the outer Se¬ ries, are brought to bear upon it, and to enclofe it fo, that it is fix’d in a Direction parallel to the Length of the Body, and very clofe to it: when it is in this Situation, the Legs of the fil'd Se¬ ries came into Compatd with it, and one of the Points