602 ANtMACULES. 



pearance to soap bubbles,arranged in partiesofthree, 

 five, six, and nine : among them are also some solitary 

 ones. These collections of globules, being put into 

 a glass filled with sea-water, described a rapid 

 circle round the glass by a common movement, to 

 which each individual contributed by the simple 

 compression of the ^ides of its body, probably the 

 effect of the reaction of the air with which they 

 were filled. It is not, however, easy to conceive 

 how these distinct animals (for they may be readily 

 separated without deranging their economy) are 

 capable of concurring in a common motion. These 

 considerations, together with the form of the ani- 

 mal, recalled to my mind, with much satisfaction, 

 the ingenious system of M. de BufTon ; and I en- 

 deavoured to persuade myself that I was about to 

 witness one of the most wonderful phenomena of 

 nature, supposing that these molecules, which were 

 now employed in increasing or diminishing their 

 number, or performing their revolutions in the 

 glass, would soon assume the form of a new animal* 

 of which they were the living materials. My im- 

 patience led me to detach two from the most nu- 

 merous group, imagining that this number might 

 perhaps be more favourable to the expected meta- 

 morphosis. I was, however, mistaken. These I 

 examined with more attention than the rest, and 

 the following account is of their proceedings alone. 

 Like two strong and active wrestlers, they imme- 

 diately rushed together, and attacked each other on 

 every side : sometimes one would dive, leaving its 

 adversary at the surface of the water; one would 



