Book IL. Wand of BARBADOS. 
diluted in Water, and viewed through a Microfcope, there appear about 
Eight or Nine little Animals, moving, or rather darting from Place to 
Place, with a very quick irregular Motion : Their whole Bodies are pel- 
lucid, and look in the Water like fo many Drops of Quickfilver, their 
Legs being Four of a Side, moving with great Rapidity. 
| What is called a Water-Bug, is about an Inch long, and Three-quarters 
broad: This is to be found in moft Ponds in the Ifland ; but feldom or 
never in Well-Water. The Origin of this Bug is a Pond-Worm of about 
an Inch and a Quarter long, the Body jointed, and the Head guarded with 
a! Forceps: The whole Worm, as moft Aquatics are, is of the Shrimp- 
kind. This, a little before its Transformation, inwraps itfelf in an hol- 
low Lump of Clay in the Bottom of the Pond: Some time afterwards it 
cafts off both its Shape-and Exwvie, and becomes a Bug: In this laft Stage, 
by the Armour upon its Back, and the Fins it paddles with in fwim- 
ming, and its frequent Recourfe to the Surface for Air, it fomewhat 
refembles a Tortoife in Miniature. 
The Water of a great many of thefe Ponds, at different Times of the 
Year, efpecially in a dry Seafon, when the Water is low, and the 
‘Weather fomewhat calm, throws up a greenifh Scum to the Surface : 
This is fo ftrong a Poifon, that, if fwallowed with the Water by Poul- 
‘try, fuch as Turkies, or even by Black Cattle, they in half an Hour’s 
time expire. 
Having examined this Scum with a Microfcope, on the fame Day that 
a Two-years old Bull had been poifoned by drinking in the fame Pond, 
I obferved, that a Drop of it contained feveral very compact Fa/ces, or 
{mall Fagot-like Bundles; the Extremities of their conftituent Parts be- 
ing, in Appearance, fo many cryftallized Spicula. 
I likewife difcovered, in the fame Drop of this Scum, which was di- 
luted in fair Water, feveral Annulets, each Link of the Chain being of 
an orbicular Form, barely touching one another. 
It is faid, that this Scum is at times full of {mall Animalcules: How- 
ever, I cannot affirm this to be true from any Experience of my own. 
4 TABLE 
