28 ANIMALS KILLED FV. 
the fartie with refpett to the fand remaining dry.. 
I took a portion from roofs, at the time numer- 
oufly inhabited by the animals ; and I have pre- 
ferved it dry in a box for three years, only moif- 
tening it every five or fix months for my obfer- 
vations, but the refurrections are always fewer 5 
and now, at the end of the third year, it is no 
exaggeration to fay, one third do not revive. I 
have not extended the experiment further. How- 
ever, it is undoubted, if the wheel animals grow 
rare in the fame proportion as they continue long- 
er dry, a period will finally come when none will 
revive. 
The time neceffary to accomplifh refurrection 
is unlimited. Some begin to live four minutes 
after moiftening the fand; life then extends to 
more; and in half an hour, all are reanimat- 
ed(1). Iam ignorant what can eccafion this 
difference in the time neceflary for refurreétion. 
It may either be, becaufe fome are in parts of the 
fand better moiftened than others,—or, although 
the whole fhould be moiftened at the fame time, 
it may happen that all the wheel animals are not 
of the fame texture. In that cafe, the more denfe 
or 
(1) Baker’s wheel animals began to exhibit life only in 
half an hour. It would appear, that he {peaks of thofe 
that were longeft of reviving. ‘This might arife from his 
experiments being made on a {pecies different from mine. 
