They answered, that when the cheese by its own figurative motions was changed into maggots, it was no more cheese. The Empress confessed that she observed nature was infinitely various in her works, and that though the species of creatures did continue, yet their particulars were subject to infinite changes. But since you have informed me, said she, of the various sorts and productions of animal creatures, I desire you to tell me what you have observed of their sensitive perceptions? Truly, answered they, your Majesty puts a very hard question to us, and we shall hardly be able to give a satisfactory answer to it; for there are many different sorts of creatures, which as they have all different perceptions, so they have also different organs, which our senses are not able to discover, only in an oyster shell we have with admiration observed, that the common sensorium of the oyster lies just at the closing of the shells, where the pressure and reaction may be perceived by the opening and shutting of the shells every tide.

After all this, the Empress desired the Worm-men to give her a true relation how frost was made upon the earth? To which they answered, that it was made much after the manner and description of the Fish- and Bird-men, concerning the congelation of water into ice and snow, by a commixture of saline and acid particles; which relation added a great light to the Ape-men, who were the chemists, concerning their chemical principles, salt, sulphur, and mercury. But, said the Empress, if it be so, it will require an infinite multitude of saline particles to produce such a great quantity of ice, frost and snow: besides, said she, when snow, ice and frost, turn again into their former principle, I would fain know what becomes of those saline particles? But neither the Worm-men, nor the Fish- and Bird-men, could give her an answer to it.

Then the Empress enquired of them the reason, why springs were not as salt as the sea is? also, why some did ebb and flow? To which it was answered, that the ebbing and flowing of some springs, was caused by hollow caverns within the earth, where the seawater crowding through, did thrust forward, and drew backward the spring-water, according to its own way of ebbing and flowing; but others said, that it proceeded from a small proportion of saline and acid particles, which the spring-water imbibed from the earth; and although it was not so much as to be perceived by the sense of taste; yet it was enough to cause an ebbing and flowing-motion. And as for the spring-water being fresh, they gave, according to their observation, this following reason: There is, said they, a certain heat within the bowels of the earth, proceeding from its swift circular motion, upon its own axe, which heat distills the rarest parts of the earth into a fresh and insipid water, which water being through the pores of the earth, conveyed into a place where it may break forth without resistance or obstruction, causes springs and fountains; and these distilled waters within the earth, do nourish and refresh the grosser and drier parts thereof.