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them were not equal to a grain of fand ; and thefe, while I contem- 

 plated them, would increale in iize ftill prelerving their exa6l fquare 

 figure. In like manner I conclude, that there are none of thefe fliarp 

 pointed falts which I obferve in vinegar, but are compofed of num- 

 bers of fmaller particles of fimilar fhape. 



Having kept in my parlour for about two months, a glafs, two fin- 

 gers broad, with a fmall quantity of vinegar in it, expoied to the air, 

 I obferved, at the end of that time, numbers of faline particles fwim- 

 ming on the furface, and, upon more narrowly examining them, I 

 plainly difcerned,.what I had not fo clearly feen before, that thefe 

 faline particles had a kind of cavity in them, as eafily to be feen, as 

 if, with the naked eye we were to look into a fmall boat or a fhip, 

 and which, the longer the vinegar "was fulFered to fland, grew lar- 

 ger : fome of thefe, with the cavity in front, are reprefented at G, 

 and at H fome of the fame feen Tideways. I alio caufed a drawing 

 to be made of a living eel, of that fpecies which is often found in 

 vinegar, whereof the number I faw in this liquor was very great ; 

 this is (hewn at L M ; and at NO, another eel dead, which I killed, 

 on purpofe that the limnermight take it's figure more accurately. 

 Thefe eels (which are invifible to the naked eye) I caufed to be drawn, 

 that by comparing them with the before-mentioned faline particles, 

 the extreme ininutenefs of thofe falts might be the better conceived, 

 and it fhould be underflood, that by far the greater part of thefe 

 falts could not be difcovered by the common mlcrofcope, which 

 made the eels vifible. I am alfo defirous to convince thofe of their 

 error, who imagine, that the acid tafte of vinegar arifes from tlie 

 pungency, or fl.arp, fenfation, which thefe eels are fuppofed to excite 

 on our tongues, by their pointed tails ; for, were this the cafe, many 

 forts of vinegar would be taftelefs, becaufe none of the eels are to 

 be found in them ; and in winter time, vinegar would become vapid, 

 or lofe it's fournefs, becaufe thefe minute eels arc killed by cold 

 «sr froft. 



