ao ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. I. 



a powerful attraction or repulfion, by which the 

 particles of the fubftances were forcibly attraded 

 or repelled, or from any other accidental caufe 

 deceiving the eye. But in the fame manner as 

 thefe, and fo many other fallacious appearances, 

 may impofe on 'him who is only beginning the 

 difficult art of experiment and obfervation, fo 

 can they be properly appreciated by one well ac- 

 cuftomed to microfcopes, and who has made 

 the hiflory of thefe infinitely minute beings his 

 long and particular fludy. 



Notwithflanding the lower orders of animal- 

 cuia are incomparably fmaller than the others, 

 they are not fo very minute as not to differ in fi- 

 gure and fize. But I fliall not tire the reader 

 v.dth defcriptions. 



I would willingly have protrafted the heat by 

 continuing the immerfion longer in boiling wa- 

 ter, but the nature of the glafs prevented it ; for, 

 after being a few minutes immerfed, all the vef- 

 fels burfl in pieces, and of a fufncient number 

 for my experiments I am fure two-thirds were 

 loft. Therefore it became necefl'ary to procure 

 glafs that would fuftain heat better ; which was 

 eifecled by putting only a fmall quantity 6f wa- 

 ter ill the veffels with infufrons. Omitting this 

 precaution, I was certain to fee them fly in 

 pieces. It is needlefs to defcend to minute de- 

 tails : the refult of experiment proved, that boil- 

 ing; 



