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VOL. XXIV.] 



PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 



99 



which are usually found in the water. Having clipped away the grass from the 

 clay, and put the top of it in a clean glass tube, about as thick as a child's 

 finger, and poured upon it boiled rain-water, after it was cold, and having 

 shaken the earth and water well together, the water was so thick and troubled, 

 that I could perceive none of the animalcula, though there were a great many 

 in it. But after it had stood about half an hour in the tube, I could perceive 

 several animalcula creeping up its sides, and others swimming about the water. 

 This water having stood several hours, and acquired a little more clearness, I 

 saw two partirnlar animalcula that came very near in figure to those that pro- 

 duce little wheels out of their bodies ; only, instead of such wheels, they pro- 

 truded a horny part out of their body, which they sometimes drew in, and then 

 thrust out again; there was also one animalculum that put out two wheels, and 

 near it I perceived two other sorts of animalcula, but immediately lost sight of 

 them again ; from whence I concluded, that so much water was not natural to 

 them, and therefore they were dead ; and after the water had stood three days 

 on the clay, I saw several animalcula, that were four times as long and as thick, 

 clinging to the sides of the glass, without any motion, though they stirred about 

 briskly at the first. 



I took another glass tube, and put into it a little of the same clay, which I 

 handled very tenderly, pouring upon it some of the boiled water, as before, 

 without shaking it at all, that the animalcula might emerge the better ; and after 

 an hour's time I saw above 20 animalcula swimming, whereas in the first I 

 could perceive none ; and one of them protruded wheels out of his body. Now 

 it will appear strange to some, that these animalcula which usually an^* naturally 

 swim in the water, should be found in earth that has not Vit^en moistened by 

 rain, or otherwise, in spvpral weeks: but thf-y muse be informed as I have of- 

 ten found by experience, that several sorts of very small animalcula are to be met 

 with in rain-water, and especially in the gutters on the tops of houses ; for I 

 have taken some of the slime or dirt of those gutters, after they have been dry 

 above a year, and diluted the same in boiled water after it was cold ; on which 

 I saw several animalcula swimming, and some of them, being folded up almost 

 in a globular figure, extended their body leisurely, and then swam about in the 

 water. 



If it be objected, how comes it to pass that these animalcula, that are merely 

 aquatic, should be found on the land several rods distant from any ditch ; I 

 answer, I conceive this to happen after the following manner. We often find 

 that in a storm, the water has been so furiously driven again the sides of the 

 ditches, and the parts of such water so minutely divided, that not only several 

 of its smaller particles have been carried a great way into the land by the strong 



VOL. V. N 



