The marvelous ability of geckos to run down trees, surefooted and head first, was first noted by Aristotle over two thousand years ago. However, Aristotle was not able to see the tiny hairs, called setae, that cover the toes of geckos and empower this feat. The setae are part of an adhesive system that allows geckos to maneuver on a wide variety of substrates, to run upside-down, and to arrest their falls. Geckos can run vertically at over 1 m/s and can carry over twice their body weight up smooth, vertical surfaces.

CHEWING-BALLS, a kind of balls made of aſafœtida, liver of antimony, bay-wood, juniper-wood, and pellitory of Spain; which being dried in the ſun, and wrapped in a linen-cloth, are tied to the bit of the bridle for the horſe to chew: they create an appetite; and it is ſaid, that balls of Venice treacle may be uſed in the ſame manner with good ſucceſs.

“Think I'll look out from the foremast tonight, Mister Majoor,” Bram said. “Bene darkmans, O'Brian.” “Bene darkmans,” O'Brian said, yawning. He handed Bram the spyglass before shuffling off.

[…] applying to at least part of the bottom of the mold cavity in said drag a coating of substantial thickness of a translucent, modellable plastic mass comprising finely divided acrylate moistened with a volatile liquid that is a non-solvent of acrylate and contains only a small quanity of an acrylate solvent,