216 LECTURE XII. 



and innumerable substances were supposed to 

 swarm with these minute beings, which later and 

 more accurate observations have proved to be 

 totally free from them. Thus, the blueish or 

 bloomy appearance on the surface of several sorts 

 of plums, grapes, and many other fruits, has 

 been supposed owing to innumerable legions of 

 animalcules on the surface of the fruit : but this 

 idea is entirely erroneous. It happens, a little 

 unfortunately, that Mr. Pope has introduced it 

 into his celebrated poem the Essay on Man, which 

 still continues to propagate the mistake amongst 

 those who are not scientifically conversant in such 

 subjects. 



" Ev'n the blue down the purple Plum surrounds,* 

 A living World, thy failing sight confounds." 



The blueish appearance above-mentioned is a 

 mere vegetable efflorescence, which regularly takes 

 place on such kind of fruit, and consists of particles 

 of no determinate shape, and has not the least ap- 

 pearance that could lead to a supposition of its 

 being of an animal nature, 



To attempt a methodical enumeration of Ani- 



