Il8 ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. 



CHAP. VII. 



SINGULAR MODE IN WHICH MANY SPECIES OF ANI- 

 MALCULA PROPAGATE. 



If we obferve two anlmalcula united, tlie firil 

 idea which arifes is, that they are occupied in the 

 work of generation ; and we cannot avoid it, 

 though the animals exciting the idea are infinitely- 

 minute, becaufe uniform example proves this to be 

 the ufual pofition of animals for propagating the 

 fpecies. Hence the adual copulation of animal- 

 cula has been fuppofed from feeing them united 

 in pairs. Such is the opinion of Ellis, and the 

 celebrated Father Beccaria, as he informs me in 

 a letter, written many years ago, concerning my 

 firfc obfervations on infufion animakula. The 

 whole is here tranfcribed, as it is particular on 

 this phenomenon, and alludes to other important 

 points. 



Turin, II September 1765. 

 ' If your excellent experiments required any 

 ' fiipport from the teflimony of another, I could 

 ' afford it : for, twelve years ago, when the Duke 

 ' of Savoy called me to fee Mr Needham's ex- 

 ' periments on microfcopic animals, I thought it 



' my 



