154 EXPERIMENTS 



that fwlmmed on the top was nearly as clear as 

 water, only it had a tincture of blue, like water 

 in which a fmall quantity of foap has been dif- 

 folved. It ftill, however, retained its vifcofity. 

 The little bodies, which were now entirely freed 

 from their threads, moved with gread activity on 

 all fides, and fome of them turned round their 

 centres. Mod of them were oval, though fome 

 of them were round. I have feen them change 

 figures, and from oval become round: 1 have feen 

 them divide, and, from a fingle oval or globule, 

 feparate into two. Their a(Stivity always increa- 

 fed as their fize diminifhcd. 



E X P E R. VI. 



At the end of 24 hours, the liquor had depo- 

 fited a greater quantity of gelatinous matter, 

 which I diluted, with fome difficulty, in water. 

 It appeared to confift of a multitude of opaque 

 tubes refembling lace, but without any regula- 

 rity or the fmalleft motion. In the clear femen 

 itfelf, there were a few fmall bodies ftill moving ; 

 next day their number was i\ill farther dirni- 

 iiiihed. After this, nothing was to be feen but 

 globules without the leaft appearance of motion. 



Thefe experiments were often repeated with 

 great exad;aefs ; and they convinced me that the 

 threads which adhere to the moving bodies are 

 not tails, nor any part proper to thefe bodies*. 



for 



