A Relation of a Kind of Worms, That Eat Out Stones

being very light for a Stone of that Bulk. He further describes it to be of a whitish colour, lighter than Ash-colour; perchance (faith he) not unlike to that recited out of Scaliger by M. Poyle in his Essay of Firmness pag 238, qui aëris contecta pietas in gipsaeum tum speciem tum firmitudinem concreverat. It had no deep asperities, and had somewhat of an Oval figure, but less at one end, than a Hen-Egge, and bigger and blunter at the other, than a Goose egge. This Stone (to he concludes) is intended for the Royal Society, with the Testimony of the Chirurgeon, that perform'd the Operation, and other Witnesses of special credit; where also will be annexed the manner of Operation. It appears by this last clause (to add that on this occasion) that this Well-wisher to the Improvement of all usefull knowledge, has taken notice of that considerable Collection of Curiosities, lately presented to the lately nam'd Society for their Repository, by that Publick-minded Gentleman Mr. Daniel Colwell, a very worthy and useful Member of that Body: To which Repository whatsoever is presented as rare and curious, will be with great care, together with the Donors names and their Beneficence recorded, and the things preserved for After-ages, (probably much better and safer, than in their own private Cabinets;) and in progress of Time will be employed for considerable Philosophical and usefull purposes; of which perhaps more largely in another place. A Relation Of a kind of Worms, that eat out Stones. This is taken out of a Letter, written by one M. de la Vye to M. Auzent, to be found in the 32. Journal des Scavans; as follows. In a great and very ancient Wall of Free-Stone in the Benedictins Abby at Caen in Normandy, facing Southward, there are to be found many Stones so eaten by Worms, that one may run his hand into most of the Cavities; which are variously fashion'd, like the Stones, which I have seen wrought with so much Art in the Louvre: In these cavities there is abundance of living Worms, their excrement, and of that Stone-dust, they eat. Between many of the Cavities there remain but leaves, as it were, of Stone, very thin, which part them. I have taken some of these living Worms, which I found in the eaten Stone, and put them into a Box with several bits of the Stone, leaving them there together for the space of eight days; and then opening the Box, the Stone seem'd to me eaten so sensibly, that I could no longer doubt of it. I send you the Box and the Stones in it, together with the living Worms; and to satisfy your Curiosity, I shall relate to you, what I have observed of them, both with and without a Microscope. These Worms are inclosed in a Shell, which is grayish, and of the bigness of a Barly-corn, sharper at one end, than the other. By the means of an excellent Microscope I have observ'd, that 'tis all overspread with little Stones, and little greenish Eggs; and that there is at the sharpest end a little hole, by which these Creatures cast out their excrement, and at the other end, a somewhat bigger whole, through which they put out their heads, and fasten themselves to the Stones, they gnaw. They are not so shut up, but that sometimes they come out, and walk abroad. They are all black, about two Lines of an Inch long, and three quarters of a Line large. Their Body is distinguish't into several plies, and near their head they have three feet on each side, which have but two Joints, resembling those of a Louse. When they move, their Body is commonly upwards, with their mouth against the Stone. They have a big head, somewhat flat, and even, of the colour of a Tortoise-Shell, braunish, with some small white hair. Their mouth is also big; where may be seen four kinds of Jaw-bones, lying crosswise, which they move continually, opening and shutting them like a pair of Compasses with four branches. The Jaws on both sides of the month are all black; the nether Jaw hath a point like the Sting of a Bee, but uniform. They draw threads out of their mouth with their fore-feet, using that point to range them, and to form their Shells of them. They have Ten Eyes, very black and round, which appear to be bigger than a Pins-head. There are five of them on each side of the head, standing after this manner. But besides these Worms, I have found; that Mortar is eaten by an infinite number of small Creatures, of the bigness of Cheese-Mites. These have but two Eyes, and are blackish. They have four feet on each side pretty long. The point of their Muzzel is very sharp, as that of a Spider. I find you but one of them, though I had abundance, but they are dead and lost. It may be, you'll find some at Paris, seeing that in the old Mortar betwixt Stones, that is found in Walls made with rubbish, there is great store of them, together with great plenty of their little Eggs. I have not yet examined, whether these be those, that in the surfaces of all the Stones, where they are met, with, make little round holes, and small traces and impressions, which make them look like Worm-eaten Wood. But 'tis probable, they are such. It should be observed, whether these Worms do not take Wings, and all the other appearances of Cater-pillars; and whether they are not to be found in Plaster, that is full of holes, in Bricks, in Greedy Stones, and in Rocks. You may observe more of them in Walls exposed to the South, than in others; and that the Worms, that eat the Stone, live longer, than those, that that eat the Mortar, which keep not above eight dayes alive. I have observed all their parts with a very good Microscope, without which, and a great deal of attention, 'tis difficult to see them well. I have seen other very old Walls altogether eaten, as those of the Temple at Paris, where I could find no Worms, but the Cavities were full of Shells of various kinds, diversly figur'd and turn'd: all which I believe to be little Animals petrified. Some promiscuous Observations, made in Somerset-shire, and imparted by the above-mention'd Dr. Beale. His words are these, in a Letter to the Publisher, of the 24. Septemb. 1666. at Yeovill in Somersetshire; I have two or three remarks, perhaps not unworthy to be recorded for further application in like cases of time and place. 1. In the Moores from hence towards Fridgewater, in the extreme drought, we have endured this Summer, some lengths of pasture grew much sooner withered and parched, than the other pasture. And this parched part seem'd to bear the length and shape (in grosse) of Trees. They digg'd, and found, in the place, Oakes indeed, as black as Ebony. And hence they have been instructed to find and take up many hundreds of Oakes, as a neighbour of good credit assures me. This advertisement may be instructive for other parts, as Kent, Essex, Lincoln, &c. 2. My Cosen Philips of Montague has in his pastures of Socke, about three miles off, a large Pool, to which Pigeons resort; but the Cattle will not drink of it, nor not in the extremest want of water in this drought. To the taste it is not only brackish, but hath other loathsome tasts. In a Venetian glass it looked greenish and clear, just like the most greenish Cider as soon as it is perfectly clarified. I boil'd a Pint of it in a Posnet of Bell-Mettall (commonly used to preserve Sweatmeats:) suddenly it yielded a thick froth, whence I scum'd half a score Spoonfulls; of which the inclosed is a part. *Suffring the water to be boil'd all away, it left much of the same on the sides and bottom of the Posnet. 3. From Lamport, towards Bridge-water, Eels are so cheap in the frosts of Winter, that they vend them for little. Their abundance is from hence, that as the people walk, in the frosty Mornings, on the banks of the river, they discern, towards the edges of the banks, some parts not hoare, as the rest, but green; where searching the holes of the banks, they find heaps of Eels. *This had somewhat of a Vitriolate taste. But the Experiment being made with greater quantities of this water, which questionless will be done, the nature and kind of it may be better known.