BIOLOGICAL BEGINNINGS I 5 



observations, that the bodies consisted of 5, 6, 7 or 8 very clear globules, 

 but without being able to discern any membrane or skin that held these 

 globules together, or in which they were enclosed. When these animacules 

 bestirred 'emselves, they sometimes stuck out two little horns, which were 

 continually moved, after the fashion of a horse's ears. The part between 

 these little horns was flat, their body else being roundish, save only that it 

 ran somewhat to a point at the hind end; at which pointed end it had a 

 tail, near four times as long as the whole body, and looking as thick, when 

 viewed through my microscope, as a spider's web. At the end of this tail 

 there was a pellet, of the bigness of one of the globules of the body; and 

 this tail I could not perceive to be used by them for their movements in very 

 clear water. These little animals were the most wretched creatures that I 

 have ever seen; for when, with the pellet, they did but hit on any particles or 

 little filaments (of which there were many in water, especially if it hath 

 but stood some days), they stuck entangled in them; and then pulled their 

 body out into an oval, and did struggle, by strongly stretching them- 

 selves, to get their tail loose; whereby their whole body then sprang back 

 towards the pellet of the tail, and their tails then coiled up serpent-wise, 

 after the fashion of a copper or iron wire that, having been wound close 

 about a round stick, and then taken off, kept all its windings. This motion, 

 of stretching out and pulling together the tail, continued; and I have seen 

 several hundred animacules, caught fast by one another in a few filaments, 

 lying within the compass of a coarse grain of sand. 



I also discovered a second sort of animacules, whose figure was oval; and 

 I imagined that their head was placed at the pointed end. These were a 

 little bit bigger than the animacules first mentioned. Their belly is flat, 

 provided with divers incredibly thin Httle feet, or little legs, which were 

 moved very nimbly, and which I was able to discover only after sundry 

 great efforts, and wherewith they brought off incredibly quick motions. 

 The upper part of their body was round, and furnished inside with 8, 10 

 or 12 globules: otherwise these animacules were very clear. These little 

 animals would change their body into a perfect round, but mostly when 

 they came to lie high and dry. Their body was also very yielding: for if 

 they so much as brushed against a tiny filament, their body bent in, which 

 bend also presently sprang out again; just as if you stuck your finger into 

 a bladder full of water, and then, on removing the finger, the inpitting went 

 away. Yet the greatest marvel was when I brought any of these animacules 

 on a dry place, for I then saw them change themselves at last into a round, 

 and then the upper part of the body rose up pyramid-like, with a point 

 jutting out in the middle; and after having thus lain moving with their feet 

 for a httle while, they burst asunder, and the globules and a watery humour 

 flowed away on all sides, without my being able to discern even the least 

 sign of any skin wherein these globules and the hquid had, to all appear- 

 ance, been inclosed; and at such time I could discern more globules than 



