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CHAP. XLII.
Of Water-worms.
IN waters both salt and fresh, great and small Worms will breed of putrefaction, especially in Summer, very like Earth-worms, but they want that knot or chain about their necks: Also they are by far more sharp and lean; oft-times they lie in the sand, and they cast up earth out of their holes, as Earth-worms do: In sweet waters that are standing, and not deep, there is found a kinde of Worms of a full red, that resemble in shape the Teredo without feet, but that they have greater heads. Their tail is forked, whereby they stay themselves, till lifting up their heads they may finde a place to fasten the rest of their body, and so they creep upon the mud and stones, and so they move in a brandishing manner crookedly. In Summer, when it is clear weather and hot, they come forth together in great numbers, but if the mud move never so little they presently withdraw themselves. The English call them Summer-worms, either because they are seen only in Summer, or they die in Winter. In the Mediterranean Sea there is a round Worm found as great as a great Snake, and of the same colour, but it hath neither head nor tayl, as Weckerus observes. Some∣times it is twenty foot long. What may be the use or na∣ture of these I have not yet observed. But I hope that o∣thers will discover that light that shal shew us both. Yet this is certain, that those Worms serve for baits to catch Fish, espe∣cially those small red ones, and Fisher-men diligently seek after them for that purpose. We call them Water-worms, because as Earth-worms will not live long in water, so Wa∣ter-worms put upon dry land soon die, they wanting Air, and these for want of water.