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LEEUWENHOEK AND HIS ‘“‘ LITTLE ANIMALS ”’ 
From this spectacle, I imagined that the little animals 
of this kind must have laid their little eggs, or young 
animalcules, upon the ends of every little branch, and 
that they had there waxed in bigness, and grown up. 
Furthermore, this little branching vein was for the 
most part clothed with a clearer matter, which I judged 
was made up of round pellets. Seeing this, it came into 
my head that all the round particles which I could see 
might perhaps be really eggs, or young animalcules, and 
that from these particles, moreover, similar animalcules 
might presently come forth. After the lapse of another 
twenty-four hours, I looked upon the little branch again ; 
and I then saw that some animalcules, which had reached 
their full growth, were fixed anew upon it; and that 
many of these animalcules were swimming around the 
little branch, while the roundish particles, that I’d seen 
on the branch the day before, were much diminished in 
number.’ ; 
At a distance of about half an inch from the little 
vein-branch aforesaid, there lay in the water a little fibre, 
whereon were also fixed some little animals; and these too 
were come forth (so I imagined) from the round corpuscles 
which were likewise fixed to the fibre. These animalcules 
were increased to such great numbers in the space of 
twice twenty-four hours, that I now saw quite fifty of 
them where I had before seen but one. 
Now, as we have made sure that, in twice twenty- 
four hour’s time, animalcules appear, which have reached 
their full growth; and as we imagine that they have 
come forth from little round particles: therefore, we need 
not wonder at the multifarious little animalcules which 
we perceive to be bred in water in only a few days’ time 
(provided only that food be not lacking for them). And 
who knows but what one sort of these very little water- 
The observations here recorded were, no doubt, perfectly accurate : 
but the interpretation which L. put upon them is, of course, incorrect. 
