LECTURE Xlt. 
22S 
scribed by a German author of the name of Eichorn, 
and afterwards more fuhy by Muller. 
The genus called Volvox also presents one of 
the largest and most curious of Animalcules, as 
well as one of the most beautiful, the chief spe- 
cies, or Volvox Globator, often equalling the size 
of a pin’s head. In the advanced state of spring, 
and again in autumn, it appears in immense num- 
bers in the clearer kind of stagnant waters. Its 
general colour is green ; but it sometimes is of a 
pale orange-colour. Its motions are irregular, in 
all directions, and at the same time rolling or spin- 
ning as if on an axis. When microscopically ex- 
amined it presents one of the most curious pheno- 
mena in natural history, being always pregnant with 
several smaller animals of its own kind, and these 
with others still smaller : the whole external surface 
is covered with very numerous small tubercles; 
which some have supposed to act as a kind of fins, 
while others have supposed them to be the valves 
of so many orifices which the creature can either 
open or close at pleasure, in order to manage its 
various motions. When groupes of these beauti- 
ful animalcules are viewed by the solar Microscope, 
they strongly recal to the recollection of the spec- 
