MICROSCOPIC ILLUSTRATIONS. 61 



balls, that, while other food aboun'ds, they eat 

 them by way of dessert, or as a bonne bouche. 

 Similar reports have prevailed as to men eating 

 earth in Finland, Guinea, Java, and other 

 places ; and the propensity of slaves in the West 

 Indies to follow this practice, even to the injury 

 or destruction of their health, is well known. 1 

 The Microscope explains the mystery, at least 

 in some of these cases, and so confirms the state- 

 ments. This earth, examined by our instrument, 

 is found to consist of infusorial matter, i.e., is 

 mainly made up of minute organized beings, 

 either animal or vegetable. It is found in 

 many places, in Algeria, Bermuda, Kichmond 

 in Virginia, Dolgelly in North Wales, Mull 

 in Scotland, Lough Mourne in Ireland, &c. 

 The Swedes and Norwegians have deposits of 

 this infusorial earth, and call it by the very 

 appropriate name of Berg-mehl, or mountain 

 meal. In times of dearth, in China, such earth 

 has been used for food, and is called fossil flour. 

 3. Who has not heard, and, hearing, who has 

 not smiled at apparently incredible stories of red 



1 Aspects of Nature, pp. 145-6. Chambers's Paper on the 

 Microscope, p. 13. 



