54 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1703. 



also H, though their stalks are so fine, that I could not perceive them to be united 

 to the main branch; however when that moved, they moved also. 



As soon as the water was poured out of the glass tube, I immediately viewed 

 the branch, and between two of the sprigs, bd and be, I saw two of the small 

 animalcula swimming in the little water which remained unexhaled among the 

 twigs, and their figure was like the bubbles that were described by h. During 

 these observations I discovered an exceedingly small particle, breaking off from 

 one of the particles or bubbles under the said letter h, and presently it swam ofF 

 with a small motion; but the whole space of its progress was not above a hair's 

 breadth; the said small particle was certainly an animalculum, for I could plainly 

 see it turn and wind itself about; I observed a little motion also in another of 

 these particles or bubbles, that I have said before were like a rose, but that par- 

 ticle remained still entire. On the sides of the same tube lay several other small 

 branches, but not so perfect as the first figure, and when the water was poured 

 out they appeared like fig. 8, ikl, and fig. Q, mno. 



What shall we say concerning these boughs or little trees? we cannot imagine 

 that they proceed from a seminal matter in the water, but rather, that they are 

 a>mposed of that matter which, ranging in small particles through the water, 

 does by a kind of natural inclination cement or coagulate into one body ; and 

 this will not seem strange to any one who has seen the like experiment in filing 

 of iron; for if you apply that part of the iron that is filed, and still remains 

 warm, to the filings, it will immediately attract the said filings, and they will 

 hang down like a chain from the iron, nay, if you apply these filings to a mag- 

 net, the attraction will be much stronger. 



Now I am speaking of inclinations, I cannot forbear acquainting you, that I 

 have several times, for my diversion, dissolved silver in aquafortis, and as soon 

 as I put the silver into the menstruum, have endeavoured to observe the ope- 

 rations, and have always found a great number of air-bubbles arising from the 

 silver, which, before they were separated from the metal, were as large as a com- 

 mon pin's head, or as a grain of sand. These air-bubbles as soon as they left 

 the silver, and in proportion to their mounting toward the superficies of the 

 water, grew less and less, insomuch that they almost escaped the sight, and 

 presently after they vanished entirely, and this change happened usually in the 

 space of three pulses ; some of these air-bubbles lasted a little longer, others 

 again, though a? large as a pin's head, burst in pieces before my eyes, without 

 leaving any other smaller bubbles behind them. 



For further satisfaction, I prepared a glass bottle, whose axis was an inch 

 and half wide, of the shape as seen, fig. JO, abcdepg, where abcd represent 

 the great bowl or globe, and adbg the less, and f the bore or orifice of the 



