202 C O M P A R I S O N O F 



pretended animalcules are fometimes globules 

 without any fenfible motion; fometimes they are 

 globules which move with great adivity ; fome- 

 times they have tails, and fometimes no tails. 

 Speaking of fpermatic animals in general, he re- 

 marks *, ' Ex hifce meis obfervationibus cogitare 

 ' coepi, quamvis antehac, de animalculis in femi- 

 ' nibus mafcuiinis agens, fcripferim me in illis 



* caudas non detexiffe, fieri tamen poffe ut ilia 



* animalcuja aeque caudis fuerint inftruda, ac 



* nunc comperi de animalculis in gallorum gai- 



* linaceorum femine mafculino :' Another proof 

 that he has often feen fpermatic animals of' all 

 kinds, without tails. 



Secondly^ It is worthy of remark, that Leeu- 

 wenhoek had very eaily difcovered the filaments 

 which appear in the femen before it be liqui- 

 fied; and that, at that time, when he had not 

 conceived his hypothefis concerning the fpermatic 

 animals, he imagined the filaments to be veins* 

 nerves, and arteries. He firmly believed, that 

 all the parts and veflels of the human body 

 might be clearly diftinguiflied in the feminal 

 fluid. He even perfifted in this opinion, not- 

 withllanding the reprefentations made to him by 

 Mr Oldenburg, in name of the Royal Society. 

 But, after he conceived the notion of transform- 

 ing his fpermatic animals into men, he never 

 again takes any notice of thefe veflels. Inftead 

 Qf regarding them as the nerves and blood-vef- 



fels 

 * Tom. 3. p. 371. 



