NIGHT WORM

Although the author of Worms, Sponges and Other Nocturnal Invertebrates Found in the Mariana Trench (Amberes, 1673) claimed that all his illustrations had been traced from live animals, this specimen found on the final page, which we have recreated in the form of an earring, has raised some doubts – despite the detailed description of how it was found, convinced to get on board and kept alive until the end of its days in a small seaside resort in Montreux. For example: its love of climbing. Or of sleeping hung from a tree branch, as if it were a bat! Not to mention its obsession with striped pants, to make it look like an okapi! Or of participating in all sorts of gatherings. Or of imitating human speech, without even understanding a word! Not to mention his fondness for baroque painting. Or for arias!