274 LEEUWENHOEK AND HIS ‘‘ LITTLE ANIMALS ”’ 
when the animalcules were aswimming, and got off some- 
what from the glass, they were borne forward, as if they 
were not strong enough (as you might say) to swim up- 
stream: yet they alone made, as they went ahead, certain 
windings, while the bits of dust in the water (which were 
very big in comparison with the animalcules) were swept 
forward in a straight line.’ 
I have also made sure that, when I put new-fallen rain 
in a glass tube in which there was never before any 
moisture, shortly afterwards very many little air-bubbles 
made their appearance in it, and remained sticking to the 
glass: but a little while later these air-bubbles were gone. 
T'o satisfy myself further hereof, on the 6th of November 
I took once more a new glass tube, and examined it 
through the microscope: but notwithstanding I had very 
carefully shut it up, and covered it over, I saw that there 
were yet many very little bits of dust in it. On the 
6th of November it rained again, and I caught the rain, 
as before described, and put it in the glass tube; in order 
to see whether in this one also the air-bubbles would 
make their appearance, and whether they would then 
vanish from sight. 
I examined this water divers times, even after it had 
been four hours in the tube; in which time I could 
discover not more than two or three air-bubbles, which 
were on a dried-up mite,’ out of which the air seemed to 
issue. 
But whereas I had stood the former glass tube upright, 
and had put another one down somewhat aslant, I now 
placed this last glass tube lying almost flat, only so that 
the opening lay a bit higher, lest the water ran out of it, 
' This passage is paraphrased by Chamberlayne, though its import is 
correctly conveyed. It can hardly be doubted that L. was here able to 
distinguish the animate from the inanimate particles. 
2 ven wijt gedroogte mit MS. ‘‘a dry Particle” Chamberlayne. I do 
not know whether the “mite’’ should be interpreted literally or 
metaphorically. 
