66 Mr. Fairholme on a Species of Natural Micrometer. 



objects. I had then an exactly graduated scale for this par- 

 ticular calculation; and by taking the square and cubic mea- 

 sure of a variety of grains, of different shapes, and striking 

 the mean of the whole, I found that instead of many thousands 

 of animalcula for the size of a grain of sand, there were from 

 one to three millions, necessary to make up the solid bulk. 

 For I found the mean of ten measurements to be, 50 of the 

 globules, which, with their 50 equal intervals, made 100 for 

 the side of a square : the matter therefore stood thus ; 



100 X 100 x 100 = 1,000,000. 

 But in this calculation I had by no means taken the smallest 

 of the animalcula discernible in the fluid. Many were much 

 smaller than those I calculated upon ; so that I had thus a 

 simple means of proving to demonstration the existence of 

 animated beings from one to three millions of times less than 

 a grain of sea sand I 



By means of a species of micrometer of my own construc- 

 tion, of a very simple character, but sufficiently correct for 

 all common purposes, I consider the graduation of this natural 

 fibre, with the intervals between the globules, to be about 

 6000 to an inch; and as the animalcula on which the above 

 calculation was made were of exactly similar size and form, 

 we thus find that the space of a common half-inch die would 

 require 27,000,000,000 of these organized beings to compose 

 its bulk ! And when we consider that others were distinctly 

 visible in the same fluid not more than one third part so large, 

 the calculation mounts far beyond the mental powers of dis- 

 tinct conception. 



When the microscope thus discovers to us wonders in the 

 lower part of the scale of creation as incomprehensible as 

 those which the telescope has disclosed to us in the upper ; 

 and when we consider that we have no ground for supposing 

 that either of these instruments has been yet brought to its 

 highest powers, — the boundless extent of the works of the Al- 

 mighty is strongly presented to the mind. We thus find 

 that all our ideas of magnitude and minuteness are merely 

 comparative ; and that when we endeavour to extend them 

 beyond a certain point, we soon become lost in boundless ob- 

 scurity, and find our views of creation terminate in infinity on 

 either hand. 



1 inclose a small quantity of the earthy matter, in which 

 you will find specimens of both the fibre and the animal- 

 cula. To observe the former in perfection, it may be exa- 

 mined very soon after being put in water ; but the latter will 

 not appear in any numbers, or with much motion, for several 

 days. I have at present a glass containing some of the earth, 



