( 104 ) 



I cut off a (hoot from a cherry tree, which I brought into my 

 houfe, in order to examine thele Animalcules more narrowly, and 

 the rather, becaufe moft of the verniin which infell ouf fruit trees 

 are, in their refpedtive fpecies, nearly of the fame fize, and are 

 generated from caterpillars, which become creeping or flying ani- 

 mals ; and, in like manner all forts of flies, knowm to me, are 

 generated. 



1 again looked over many of the leaves, in order, if pofTible, tq 

 difcover the eggs from which thcfe Animalcules wci-e produced, 

 and the rather, becaufe I was certain, that their bodies were not 

 compofed of annular parts or rings, as is the ca(e with flies, butter- 

 flies, and the like, which are produced from caterpillars, or mag-, 

 gots ; and from thofe rings or divilions in their bodies, they have 

 the name of infecls, among which the flea is alio to be reckoned. 

 But all my fearch was to no purpofe, at which I was much fur-, 

 prifed, that among fo many minute animals, not an egg was to be 

 found. This feemed to favour the opinion of thofe who will have 

 it, that fmall living creatures are produced fpontancouflv, but fuch 

 a notion appeared to me altogether impolfible, though, at the fame 

 time, I was at a lofs how to inveftigate the generation of thcfe 

 creatures. At length, I determined to open fome of the largefl of 

 them, in hopes of finding eggs in their bodies ; but, inllcad of eggs, 

 I 'bund, not without great admiration, young Animalcules in the 

 bodies of the larger ones, and in Ihape fo like the parent, that one 

 drop of \vater cannot be more like another, and I extracted not a 

 fmgle young one, but four, completely formed, from the fame pa-, 

 rent. Hereupon I judged, that it would be mofl: expedient to cut 

 off all the twigs and leaves of the peaches, cherries, and goofe- 

 berry trees which were infefled wdtli thcfe creatures, and thro\v 

 them into the water to drown them, and try whether I fliould not 

 aftervNards be lefs infclted with thcfe vermin. 



Thefe difcoveries led me to confider, whether thefe Animalcules 

 towards the end of fummer, or when the leaves fall ofl^, might uot 



