CHAP. XL.
Of Water Insects without feet, and first of Oripes.
NO Philosopher that understands as he should, will deny but that snow is water turned to froth, by long subliming in the air. In this Worms are bred which the Greeks call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Aristotle writ something concerning these, which History I will briefly touch. In snow there are bred hairy Worms, very sluggish, and that move slowly, wherefore I reckon them amongst Worms without feet, so soon as they are taken out of the snow they die, as the Worms bred in the fire doe, being taken from thence: with snow that is old and begins to look red, they become red also, but those that are found in new snow are white. It is, saith he, a certain thing that snow can no more corrupt than fire can. And indeed they cannot corrupt, yet in both of them are living Creatures bred, and they are nourished in both. I can∣not in any wise consent to Eustathius the Scholiast upon Homer, who affirms, that snow growes red from Minium, because those places are of a Cinnaberous quality, whence he conceives, that from the vapours rising from Cinnaber, the snow becomes red: I will not deny but that it is so in some places. But whether the Interpreter be pleased or not, we must needs grant that in some places the snow grows red, where no Cinnaber is. Strabo makes mention of such places in these words. In Charzena and the Countrey of Cambicium, and in places neer to the moun∣tains of Caucasus, some little beasts are bred in the deep snow, which Apollonides calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and Theophanes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, Mountain little hairy Worms, like unto the greater Teredines. I think their generation as admirable, as of the fire Worms; yet living Creatures are more easi∣ly bred in snow, than in fire, because in snow there is much air, earth and spirit, all which the fire consumes abundantly. And if the heat of the Sun happen to be with these, I shall use Sca∣ligers words, they make dung that smells the sweetest of all ordure. Also they are bred in a∣bundance in Carinthia, as Joach. Vadianus reports. But Strabo in his Comment upon Pompon. Mel. addes a thing that is admirable, saying that these Worms are full of excellent water, which