Micr-oscopic al Essays. 



The body of this is exceedingly tranfparent; no vifible entrails, 

 though a few tranfverfe lines may be difcovered on the body. It 

 is fometimes, though rarely, furnifhed with a long row of little 

 globules, and often with two final! oval ones ; the tail terminates 

 in a point. 



Muller fays he found thefe eels in the fediment which is formed 

 by vegetables on the fides of veftels in which water has been kept 

 for fome time. 



The eels of pa Re have been more diftinguifhed than moft other 

 animalcula, as well on account of the various [peculations and 

 theories to which it has given rife, as their many curious proper- 

 ties. Four different fpecies of eels may be found in pafte ; of the 

 firft, which has been defcribed very briefly in page 511, we fhali 

 now give a more particular defcription. To be certain of pro- 

 curing thefe eels, boil fome flower in water, to which you have 

 added a few drops of vinegar, provide an earthen pot which has 

 a hole at the bottom, fill it with earth, and then put the pafte in 

 a piece of coarfe cloth, and bury it in this earth ; the pot is to be 

 •ex poled to the fun in the fummer, or kept in a warm place in the 

 winter ; by this means you will very feldom fail of finding in ten 

 or twelve days a large quantity of eels in the pafte. 



This eel, when at it's full growth, is about one-tenth of an inch 

 long, and rather lefs than one-hundredth of an inch in diameter; 

 Fig. 6, Plate XL reprefents one of thefe eels magnified about 

 one hundred and twenty times, only compreffedfo much between 

 two plates, by means of an adjufting fcrew, as not only to pre- 

 vent it from moving, but to lengthen and flatten it in a fmall 

 4 degree. 



