LETTER 18. PEPPER-WATER 133 
The second sort of animalcules consisted of a perfect 
oval." They had no less nimble a motion than the 
animalcules first described, but they were in much 
greater numbers. And there was also a third sort, which 
exceeded both the former sorts in number. These were 
little animals with tails, like those that I’ve said were in 
rain-water.” 
The fourth sort of little animals,’ which drifted among 
the three sorts aforesaid, were incredibly small; nay, 
so small, in my sight, that I judged that even if 100 of 
these very wee animals lay stretched out one against 
another, they could not reach to the length of a grain of 
coarse sand*; and if this be true, then ten hundred 
thousand of these living creatures could scarce equal the 
bulk of a coarse sand-grain. 
I discovered yet a fifth sort,’ which had about the 
thickness of the last-said animalcules, but which were 
near twice as long. 
2nd Observation [on Pepper-water]. 
The 26th of April,° I took 23 ounces of snow-water 
(which was a good three years old, and which had stood 
throughout either in my cellar or in my closet in a glass 
bottle, well stoppered), wherein I was able to discover no 
living creatures. Having poured this same water into a 
porcelain tea-cup, with half an ounce of whole pepper, I 
set it likewise in my closet. J examined this water every 
day until May the 3rd, but could discover therein no 
living creatures; and by now the water was so far 
evaporated away and absorbed by the pepper, that some 
* Perhaps a Cyclidiwm—equally common in infusions of all sorts. 
* Vorticella sp. Cf. p. 118 supra. 
* Evidently bacteria. 
*T.’s “coarse sand-grain’’=approximately 355 inch in diameter. Cf. 
p. 334 enfra. 
> Probably bacilli. / 
* i.e., anno 1676. le 
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