290 SEMINAL VERMICULI. IL 



I wifhed to proceed rigoroufly with my refear- 

 cbes, as it appeared that the refults hitherto Sb- 

 tained were infufficient to beflow the charadler of 

 real animals on the corpufcula. We have not 

 had that aflbmblage of charaderillic marks to 

 decide their animality. Doubtlefs however we 

 may name them felf-moving corpufcula, or pof- 

 feliing a fpontaneous motion ; for the teftimony 

 of our fenfes will not permit us to believe this 

 double motion of ofcillation and progrellion the 

 effeft of any external caufe. The fequel of the 

 Tract v/ill make us more intimately acquainted 

 with their nature. 



Thefe obfervations likewife demonftrate an- 

 ofner faft, that the duration of motion, after the 

 corpufcula come from the body of the animal, 

 depends in a certain degree on the temperature 

 of the atmofphere. At 36°, all motion was gone 

 in three quarters of an hour ; at 48°, in an' 

 hour and a half; at 49°, in two hours ; at 51°,. 

 in tv/o hours and a. half; at 54°, in three hours ; 

 and at 60°, only after three hours and three 

 quarters. 



Thus I remarked that motion continued long- 

 er as the temperature of the atmofphere increaf- 

 ed ; and examining human femen, in the war- 

 mer months, to learn whether the phenomena 

 already v/itneffed niight be then obferved, I had 

 the fatisfadion of feeing them again. The du- 

 ration of motion conftantly increafed as the heat 



was 



