318 Mr Brown's Jddituynal Remarks 



dine included the active Molecules as well as true Animal- 

 cules. 



I may next mention that Gleichen, the discoverer of the mo- 

 tions of the Particles of the Pollen, also observed similar mo- 

 tions in the particles of the uvulum of Zea Mays. 



Wrisberg and Muller, who adopted in part BufFon's hypo- 

 thesis, state the globules, of which they suppose all organic 

 bodies formed, to be capable of motion ; and Muller distin- 

 guishes these moving organic globules from real Animalcules, 

 with which, he adds, they have been confounded by some very 

 respectable observers. 



In 1814, Dr James Drummond, of Belfast, published in the 

 7th volume of the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edin- 

 burgh, a valuable paper, entitled " On certain appearances 

 observed in the Dissection of the Eyes of Fishes^ 



In this Essay, which I regret I was entirely unacquainted 

 with when I printed the account of my observations, the au- 

 thor gives an account of the very remarkable motions of the 

 spicula which form the silvery part of the choroid coat of the 

 eyes of fishes. 



These spicula were examined with a simple microscope, and 

 as opaque objects, a strong light being thrown upon the drop 

 of water in which they were suspended. The appearances are 

 minutely described, and very ingenious reasoning employed to 

 show that, to account for the motions, the least improbable 

 conjecture is to suppose the spicula animated. 



As these bodies were seen by reflected and not by transmit- 

 ted light, a very correct idea of their actual motions could 

 hardly be obtained ; and with the low magnifying powers 

 necessarily employed with the instrument and in the manner 

 described, the more minute nearly spherical particles or active 

 Molecules which, when higher powers were used, I have al- 

 ways found in abundance along with the spicula, entirely 

 escaped observation. 



Dr Drummond's researches were strictly limited to the 

 spicula of the eyes and scales of fishes ; and as he does not 

 appear to have suspected that particles having analogous mo- 

 tions might exist in other organized bodies, and far less in 

 inorganic matter, I consider myself anticipated by this acute 



