Ad SEMINAL VERMICULI. i, 
glafs did not live an hour; but the vermiculi in 
the capillary tubes retained all their vigour at 
fun-fet, though the experiment was made in the 
morning ; and an hour after mid-day, the heat 
of the fun was 104°. On the fucceeding days, 
other capillary tubes were put in the funfhine as 
above ; the vermiculi, as ufual, were long alive. 
Therefore thefe repeated facts prove two things ; 
jfirft, That the fudden death of vermiculi in fun- 
fhine is not properly the effect of the fun, as it 
would have killed thofe in the capillary tubes as 
foon as thofe in the open vefflels; /econdly, We 
can afcribe their immediate death only $e 
fome vicious quality or alteration acquired by the 
femen, when expofed to the air, and againift 
which it is fecured in a clofe veflel. But as it 
does not feem to arife from any other caufe than 
the infpiffating of the femen, for putrefaction 
cannot begin in fo fhort a time, we are induced 
to fuppofe this the fole caufe of their death, at 
leaft an effential reafon. 
Thefe facts are illuftrated by the following ex- 
periments : Two glafs tubes filled with femen toa 
given height, and {topped with a {topper well fitted, 
were placed in the funfhine : one {topper touched’ 
the femen ; the other was an inch above it: the 
tubes were in an ere@ pofition, and an equal 
quantity of femen in each. In an hour and a 
half, the influence of the fun had occafioned no 
| evaporation 
