1*jZ On the Reviv'ijication oflnfetis. 



My curiofity being excited by this circumftance, I left a 

 wide-mouthed glafs, into which I had put fomefpirit of wine, 

 uncovered, on purpofe, and, having colle&ed the flies which 

 I afterwards found dead in it, I buried them carefully among 

 the before-mentioned wood-allies ; and in a little time, when 

 the moifture of the fpirit had been completely abforbed by 

 the artics, I obferved them all revivified. Being convinced 

 in this manner that the experiment would fucceed with com- 

 mon flies, I refolved to make a like trial with other kinds of 

 infe&s. I therefore took fome fmall beetles, which were 

 thofe neareft at hand, put them into a glafs filled with fpirit 

 of wine, and, when they were perfectly dead, covered them 

 with afhes. Thefe, to my great fatisfaelion, were reftored 

 to life in the like manner. 



I made an experiment alfo with a fmall fpider and a young 

 moth, by depriving them of life five different times within 

 the courfe of three hours, and always with the wifhed-for 

 fuccefs, except that the fpider, after the laft experiment, 

 was become fo languid and weak that it could fcarcely 

 crawl. I found the like effect to be produced on bugs, only 

 that it was neceffary to keep them lunger in the allies before 

 they were brought to life. 



In regard to butterflies I cannot fpeak with csrtainty, as 

 thofe on which I made experiments were feeble and fickly. 

 Common wood-lice on the other hand, after being killed in 

 fpirit of wine, I could not bring to life by the fame means. 

 Further experiments on this fubject I fliall leave to natural- 

 ifls and phyficians, who, perhaps, may infer from the above 

 obfervations, that warm wood-aflies might be employed, not 



deira wine which had been bottled in ViFgir.ia. Ir. fome of the bottles he 

 fuund a few dead flies, which he cxpofed to the warm fun, it being then 

 the month of July, and in lefs than three hours thele apparently dead ani- 

 mals recovered life which had been lb long fufpended. At firft they ap- 

 peared as if convulfed ; they then raifed themfelves on their legs, waflied 

 their eyes with their fore feet, dreffed their wings with thole behind, and 

 began in a little time to fly about. Ejl»»t. 



without 



