SEMINAL VERMICULI. 



IL 



adeo ut earum extremitates ubi materia, cui ani- 

 malcula infunt, atque innatant, paulo denfior eft, 

 vifum plane effugiant ; atque fic horum animal- 

 culorum caudae fabrica plane convenit cum om- 

 nium pifcium caudis.'* 



Refpefting the nature and properties of fper- 

 matic vermiculi, thefe are the words of Leeuwen- 

 hoeck : " Quotiescumque animalcula in femine 

 mafculo animalium fuerim contempbtiu, at- 

 tamen ilia fe unquam ad quietem contuliiTe, me 

 nunquam vidifTe mihi dicendum eft, fi mode fat 

 fl uidae fupereflet materiee, in qua fefe commode 

 movere poterant ; at eadem in continuo manent 

 motii, et tempore, quo ipfis moriendum, appropin-- 

 quante, motus magis, magifque deficit, ufque 

 dum nullus prorfus motus in illis agnofcendus 

 fit(i)." 



From thefe quotations, it may be eafily feen, 

 that Leeuwenhoeck and myfelf have remarked the 

 fame fa6;s in the animals of human femen. This 

 obferver calling them animalcula or Ipermatic 

 vermiculi. A¥e both agree, i. on affigning the 

 fame figure to the corpufcula in the feminal fluid 

 of man, the ram, the dog, and rabbit. In my def- 

 crlption of them, 1 have faid they feemed compofed 

 of two parts, a body and an appendage. Leeuwen* 

 hoeck alfo acknov/ledgcs the exiftence of thefe 



parts., 



(i) Leeuwenhoeck Operaj vol. lo 



