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cool and moill: ; for wlien thefc fmall Fibres are divefted of their 

 membranes, and feparated or fplit open, to difeover their component 

 filaments, this operation mull be performed as expeditioully as 

 poffible (and even then it will often fail of fuccefs) ; for the mois- 

 ture of thefe tlelhy Fibres will, by reafon of their thinnefs, 

 quickly evaporate ; and if that happens, the filaments of which the 

 Fibre confills will dry up and cohere fo clofely, as to exhibit the 

 appearance of a fingle, imiform, and folid bright fubftance. 



In my lateft obfervations refpeding the mufcle of a Hare, I 

 plainly faw how fome of the fieihy Fibres, which were very lliarp 

 at the extremities, terminated in the membrane of a mufcle ; fome 

 again, at the extremities, terminated in a mufcular tendon. This 

 mufcle I placed before a good microfcope, in order to lliew the 

 fame to a gentleman who was vifiting me ; but the mufcle being 

 very flender, the moifture of it foon evaporated, whence, in a very 

 lliort time, the flelhy Fibres became fo clofely joined, that I could 

 no. difi;in6lly fee any one of them feparately, much lefs could I 

 difeover the place where they were united to the tendon, or indeed 

 the tendon itfelf. 



Thefe difcoveries induced me to repeat my former inquiries into 

 the nature of thofe Fibres of which Fiflies are compoled ; and, 

 upon examining feveral parts of the cod-filli, I judged that the 

 moll folid fifhy Fibres were in that part of the belly near the gills. 

 Thefe Fibres being diverted of their membranes, I faw in them the 

 fame turnings, foldings, and wrinkles, as I have before noted re- 

 fpeding the Fibres of flefti ; but they had not always the fame 

 figure ; for fometimes they appeared as fg. 4, B E CD ; at another 

 time, as at FG; and alfo as at HI. Upon cutting thefe Fibres 

 tranfverfel}^ I very plainly faw the ends of thofe multitudes of 

 filaments of which the infide of a tiftiy Fibre is compofed. I alfo, 

 but very rarely, faw, on the tranfverfe cutting of thefe fifliy Fibres, 

 certain very bright lines or flreaks, as at A. I debated in my mind, 

 whether thefe were velTels deftined for the nouriUmient of thofe 



