3 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



ately peoples it. She is never ftraitened for want 

 of room. She has placed animals, furnifhed with 

 fins, in a linglc drop of water, and in fuch multi- 

 tudes, that Leewenhoek, the natural Philofopher, 

 reckoned up to thoufands of them. Many others 

 after him, and, among the reft, Robert Hook, have 

 feen, in one drop of water, as fmall as a grain of 

 millet, fome lo, others 30, and fome as far as 45 

 thoufand. Thofe who know not how far the pa- 

 tience and fagacity of an Obferver can go, might, 

 perhaps, call in queftion the accuracy of thefe ob- 

 fervations, if Lyonnct, who relates them in Lejjer*i 

 Theology of Infeéts *, had not demonftrated the 

 poffibility of it, by a piece of mechanifm abun- 

 dantly fimple. We are certain, at leaft, of the 

 exiftence of thofe beings whofe different figures 

 have aftually been drawn. Others are found, 

 whofe feet are armed with claws, on the body of 

 the fly, and even on that of the flea. 



It is credible, then, from analogy, that there are 

 animals feeding on the leaves of plants, like the 

 cattle in our meadows, and on our mountains ; 

 which repofe under the fhade of a down imper- 

 ceptible to the naked eye, and which, from gob- 

 lets formed like fo many funs, quaff nedar of the 

 colour of gold and filver. Each part of the flower 



* Book IL chap. 3. See the laft note. 



muft 



