Note m — BOOK IV.
Reading edition
Severinus is of Aristotle’s, Pliny’s, and Alb. Magnus’s Opinion, that the Mole hath no Sight; G. Seger denies any Humour to be therein, but thinks they may probably see, because Nature made nothing in vain. But Borrichius saith, their Eyes have appendiculam nerveam in cerebrum euntem, cujus beneficio globuli illi [the little Eyes] extra pellem facilè poterant exseri, retrahique pro arbitrio——In illis oculorum globulis humor aqueus copiose satis natabat; cæterorum non nisi tenue vestigiem. Blas. Anat. Anim. c. 35.
Et quoniam Natura hoc vitæ genus ipsi destinavit, etiam perquàm exiguos Oculos——dedit eo concilio, ut ii, pretiosissima corporis pars, à terræ pulvere nè affligerentur. Ii insuper pilis recti, &c. Humores illis oculis insunt, & tunica nigra, uvea, se prodit. Ad hos tramite alio nervus venit. Schneider in Blas. ibid.
Some time since I made divers accurate Dissections of the Eyes of Moles, with the help of Microscopes, having a doubt whether what we take to be Eyes, were such or no. And upon a strict Scrutiny I plainly could distinguish the Vitreous and Crystalline Humours, yea, the Ligamentum Ciliare, and the atramentaceous Mucus. The Pupil I could manifestly discern to be round, and the Cornea copped, or conical: The Eye is at a great distance from the Brain, the Optick Nerve very slender and long, reaching from the Eye through the intermediate Flesh, and so passeth to the Brain, along with the pair of Nerves reaching to the Nose, which are much the largest that are in all the Animal. These Creatures, I imagine, have the Faculty of withdrawing their Eyes, if not quite into the Head, (as Snails) yet more or less within the Hair, as they have more or less Occasion to use or guard their Eyes.
Galen saith, Moles have Eyes, the Crystalline and Vitreous Humours, encompassed with Tunicks. De Us. Part. l. 14. c. 6. So accurate an Anatomist was he for his Time.