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48 LEEUWENHOEK AND HIS “LITTLE ANIMALS” 
Mr. Houghton’ were elected; as was also Mr. Leewenhoeck 
upon the motion of Dr. Croune,’ and Dr. Gale* was desired to 
draw up a diploma to be sent to him.” 
There is thus ample documentary evidence to prove that 
Leeuwenhoek was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society—a 
full Fellow, and not a Foreign Member,’—on 29 January 
1679/80 [0.8.]; that is, on 8 February 1680 according to 
present-day reckoning [N.S.].’ He was proposed by Croone— 
not by Hooke—and his election was unanimous.° 
At the gathering of the Society on 12 February [0.S.] 
1680, ‘‘ Dr. Gale was called upon for the diploma directed at 
the meeting of January 29 to be sent to Mr. Leewenhoeck ; 
and it was ordered, that the society’s seal should be affixed to 
it, and that a silver box should be provided for it.”" Later, at 
the same meeting, “Dr. Gale produced his draught of a 
diploma for Mr. Leewenhoeck”’*: and on February 19, “it was 
ordered, that the arms of the society be ingraved on the silver 
box.”® Finally, at a meeting of Council on February 23, 
it was directed “‘ That Mr. Hunt” prepare a silver box for the 
diploma to be sent to Mr. Leewenhoeck ;”’" and on the 28th 
* John Houghton (?—1705), now imperfectly known as a writer on 
husbandry (especially on potatoes) and trade. See Dict. Nat. Biogr. 
? William Croone [sew Croune] M.D. (1633-1684), educated at Emmanuel 
College, Cambridge, was an original Fellow of the Royal Society and a well- 
known physician in his day. The “Croonian Lectures”’ still serve to 
perpetuate his memory. See Birch, Vol. IV, p. 339 and Dict. Nat. Buogr. 
for further details of his life and legacies. 
* Thomas Gale, D.D. See p. 193, note 2, infra. 
* “ Foreign Members” were an invention of a much later date. Cf. 
Nuttall (1921) and Dobell (1923). 
° Boitet (1729, p. 766) wrongly gives the date as 26 February 1679, and 
has been copied by Soutendam (1875) and others. 
® So Hookeinformed him. See Letter 31a,13 May 1680. To R. Hooke. 
MS. Roy. Soc. Unpublished. Cf. also p. 87 znfra. 
" Birch, Vol. IV, p. 11. 
* Birch, Vol. IV, p. 13. 
* Birch, Vol. IV, p. 13. 
* Henry Hunt was the Society’s ‘‘ operator,’ who assisted at demonstra- 
tions and in other ways. He filled the offices of laboratory attendant, 
assistant secretary, and general factotum—for £40 a year (when he could 
get it)—and left the Society a legacy on his death. 
” Birch, Vol. IV, p. 16. 
