i06 ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIOlsf^., f, 



^' One fa£b has to me appeared mofl fingu- 

 " lar. You know. Sir, that the fparks, which 

 " we wilh to direft through a fubftance, often 

 " glide over the furface rather than penetrate it, 

 ^' even where the fubftance is very permeable by 

 " eledtricity. Matters may be fo arranged, that 

 ^' fuch a phenomenon will infallibly fucceed ; and 

 *' I have frequently prepared a bafon of water fd 

 " as the fparks would pafs over a furfoce a foot 

 " long without penetrating the water. This I 

 " found to have the fame effedt on animalcula as 

 " when the fparks palfed through the water it- 

 *' felf. While my eye was applied to the microf- 

 '^ cope, the moment fuperficial fparks were 

 " drawn, 1 faw the whole animalcula in agita- 

 *' tion ; fome reduced to grains, and the reft im- 

 " mediately die. 



*' Do not iniagihe the polTibility of my bein^ 

 " deceived, by fuppofmg the fpark glided ovei- 

 " the furface, when it in reality penetrated the 

 *' water, for the difference is too fenfible. That 

 " which ghdes appears moft brilliant over the 

 " whole furface ; that which penetrates paffes 

 " without being feen. Perhaps you will fay one 

 *' portion of the eleftric fluid paffes v/ithin whil'e 

 " the remainder paffes without. Doubtlefs this 

 " may be ; w^as it fo, it feems that fuch a divi- 

 ^^ fion fhould weaken the fpark ; whereas it ap- 

 " pears more brilliant and fonorous than ufual. 



« Thefe 



