Its head appears bigg and blunt, and its body tapers from it
towards the tail, smaller and smaller, being shap'd almost like a
carret. . . . It has two long horns before, which are streight,
and tapering towards the top, curiously ring'd or knobb'd and
brisled much like the marsh weed called Horses tail. . . . The
hinder part is terminated with three tails, in every particular
resembling the two longer horns that grow out of the head.
The legs are scal'd and hair'd. This animal probably feeds upon
the paper and covers of books, and perforates in them several
small round holes, finding perhaps a convenient nourishment
in those husks of hemp and flax, which have passed through so
many scourings, washings, dressings, and dryings as the parts
of old paper necessarily have suffer'd. And, indeed, when I
consider what a heap of sawdust or chips this little creature
(which is one of the teeth of Time) conveys into its intrals,
I cannot chuse but remember and admire the excellent contrivance
of Nature in placing in animals such a fire, as is continually
nourished and supply'd by the materials convey'd into the stomach
and fomented by the bellows of the lungs." The picture or "image,"
which accompanies this description, is wonderful to behold.
Certainly R. Hooke, Fellow of the Royal Society, drew somewhat
upon his imagination here, having apparently evolved both
engraving and description from his inner consciousness.[1]


[1] Not so! Several correspondents have drawn my attention to
the fact that Hooke is evidently describing the "Lepisma," which,
if not positively injurious, is often found in the warm
places of old houses, especially if a little damp.
He mistook this for the Bookworm.