LETTER 96. MUSSEL-WATER ik 
saw, to my wonder, a vast number of animalcules. And 
after the water, with the mussel in it, had stood for twice 
twenty-four hours, I observed that the number of animal- 
cules was greatly increased. I took a little of this water, 
and put it in a glass tube, whose diameter was about 
a fifteenth of an inch, and which was filled for about an 
inch of its length with the water. In this water I saw a 
few little animalcules swimming, whereof several thousand 
together would scarce equal a sand-grain in bigness. 
These animalcules had a pretty structure, for the round 
circumference of their bodies seemed to be made up of ten 
or twelve brighter round pellets, while in the middle of 
them there seemed to be a little dark spot, somewhat bigger 
than the pellets. These animalcules generally rotated 
themselves in their progression (which took place 
slowly). 
When these animalcules had been a little while in the 
foresaid glass tube, I saw a slender little structure like 
unto a little branching vein, with seven or eight lesser 
branches, each several little branch being full a hundred 
times thinner than a hair off one’s head; and at the same 
time I saw that at the utmost extremity of every little 
branch, one of the forementioned little animals was firmly 
fixt, though at first I could discover no motion in ’em. 
Yet after the lapse of about a minute, I perceived that 
some animalcules began to move themselves to and fro, 
whereby each of the thin little branches became bent 
into divers coils. The longer this motion continued, the 
stronger it became, till at last the little creature, by its 
efforts, got loose from the little branch, and swam off; 
and the same thing came to pass with all the others too, 
so that the little branching structure was forsaken by all 
the animalcules that were discernible.” 
i T 
’ Probably ciliates—the bright bodies being food-inclusions, and the dark 
central spot the meganucleus. 
* This graphic narrative gives an unmistakable description of Carchesvwm. 
