SOME EARLY MICROSCOPISTS 



biological inquiries of the greatest interest, e.g., the 

 parthenogenesis of aphids and the revivification of 

 dried microscopic organisms, while he gave the first 

 notices, or the first worth mention, of rotifers. 

 Hydra, infusorians, yeast cells and bacteria." 



We may here explain the meaning of the term 

 "parthenogenesis of aphids." The female aphids 

 or green flies are able to bring forth generation 

 after generation during the first two-thirds or so 

 of each year without the assistance of males. This 

 form of increase, which by the way accounts for the 

 extraordinary numbers of green fly, is known as 

 parthenogenesis . 



Leeuwenhoek thought that no one but himself 

 could use his lenses properly, in consequence, when 

 he sent any interesting object to a friend for him to 

 examine, a lens was always affixed in place so that 

 the object could be seen to the best advantage. 

 He gave a set of his lenses and objects to the Royal 

 Society, and described his gift as " a small black 

 cabinet, lackered and gilded, which has five little 

 drawers in it, wherein are contained thirteen long 

 and square tin boxes, covered with black leather. 

 In each of these boxes are two ground microscopes, 

 in all six and twenty; which I did grind myself, 

 and set in silver; and most of the silver was what 

 I had extracted from minerals, and separated from 

 the gold that was mixed with it; and an account 

 of each glass goes along with them." 



Kircher, whose work we mentioned in our last 

 chapter, was overwhelmed with the notion that 



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