OF ANIMALCULES. 15 



unable to effect a rotatory motion : these, however, are 

 more flexible, and have more play than the set(E. Inde- 

 pendently of these peculiarities, some animalcules possess 

 the extraordinary faculty of thrusting out, or elongating, 

 portions of their bodies at various points, which, as- 

 suming the appearance either of legs or fins, are termed 

 variable processes, and enable the creature to walk or 

 swim. Some remarkable examples of this are given at 

 Nos. 22 and 236. With one more observation respect- 

 ing the caudal appendages of animalcules — viz. that in 

 many cases they have important functions to fulfil — I 

 shall close this cursory view of the external structure of 

 these little beings, remarking, at the same time, that 

 the power and goodness of the Almighty are as clearly 

 evinced by the humble but efliicient means afforded these 

 living atoms of pervading the narrow limits of their sphere 

 of action, to provide for their wants and pleasures, as by 

 the more exalted gifts He has graciously bestowed upon 

 the intellectual part of the creation, whose occupations 

 are so manifold, and whose views are as boundless as their 

 thoughts. For an account of the internal organization, 

 the reader is referred to Book III. I shall next proceed to 

 state the particular method by which a more intimate 

 knowledge of this interesting subject may be acquired. 



It was a favourite hypothesis with Naturalists, some 

 years ago, that the class of animalcules under considera- 

 tion was entirely nourished by cutaneous absorption, 

 and that no suitable organs for transmitting and digest- 

 ing food were discoverable. Baron Gleichen was the 



