180 
“ce 
LEEUWENHOEK AND HIS “ LITTLE ANIMALS ”’ 
But many of the things we imagine, and the natural 
objects that we inquire into, are very insignificant ; and 
especially so, when we see those little living animals 
whose paws we can distinguish, and estimate that they 
are more than ten thousand times thinner than a hair of 
our beard; but I see, besides these, other living animal- 
cules which are yet more than a hundred times less, and 
on which I can make out no paws, though from their 
structure and the motion of their body I am persuaded 
that they too are furnished with paws withal: and if 
their paws be proportioned to their body, like those of the 
bigger creatures, upon which I can see the paws, then, 
taking their measure at but a hundred times less, it 
follows that a million of their paws together make up but 
the thickness of a hair of my beard; while these paws, 
besides their organs for motion, must also be furnished 
with vessels whereby nourishment must pass through 
them. 
Because many people, both in the towns and in the 
open country, are stricken with fever,’ and because their 
shoes get very red whenever they walk through the grass 
in the meadows; the common man concludes that the air 
is therefore infected, and very fiery. This coming to my 
ears, I betook myself without the town and examined the 
dew: but I could find nought in it worthy of remark. 
However, seeing that my shoes also had got reddened by 
the grass, I turned my attention to the grass itself, and 
saw that some of it was studded with reddish dots. 
Bringing these before my microscope, 1 saw that they 
consisted of small globules, whereof upwards of a thousand 
did not equal the bigness of a small sand-grain. (I find 
there are various kinds of grass: and among others, one 
sort that was very rough, which was not contaminated °*.) 
Inquiring after a reason for these globules being upon the 
’ Probably a reference to malaria, and therefore of some interest at the 
present time. 
> Marginal note in original. 
