t^^ ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS, "C 



days, have almoft none ; and, although thoufands 

 periih by a natural death, immenfe numbers are 

 a prey to the larger animalcula. Sig. Abate Corti 

 has before me obferved fome kinds carry on the 

 moft deftruftive war. The ingenious method 

 which a cetaceous fifh, called by the northern 

 nations the great whale, ufes to take herrings is 

 well known : Having driven fhoals of them into 

 a bay or ftrait, a blow is given with its tail, fo as 

 to occafion a whirlpool of vafl "extent and great 

 rapidity, which draws in the herrings ; the fea 

 monfter then prefenting its enormous mouth and 

 tremendous jaws, the herrings are precipitated 

 down tl^e throat, audits flomach is foon filled. 

 The carnivorous infufion animalcula, of which 

 we treat, 'alfo create a vortex in the fluid by their 

 vibrating fibriili ; but they are under no neceffity 

 of confining the animalcula in narrow limits. If 

 abounding in infufions, they have only to keep 

 their mouths open ready to ingulph them : if 

 rare, they 'trace them out, and fwallow them up. 

 So voracious are they as to feed till they appear 

 much larger : then the purfuit is no longer in- 

 terefting : the aniniais. become indolent and Hug- 

 gifti, On^thfe contrary, if reduced to abflinence 

 fome time in tKMed water, they are full of fpi- 

 rit, and eagerly devour the minute animalcula 

 fupplied. The tranfparency of their bodies al- 

 io v/s 



