Microscopical Essays. 523 



It appears plainly from the foregoing experiments, that when 

 the blighted grains of wheat have been kept a long time, and the 

 bodies of thefe animalcula are confequently become extremely 

 dry, the rigidity of their minute veflels requires to be relaxed very 

 gently, and by exceeding flow degrees ; for we find, that on the 

 application of water immediately to the bodies of thefe animal- 

 cula, when taken from the dry grains, they do not fo certainly 

 revive as they do if the grains themfelves be either buried in 

 earth, or fleeped in water for fome time before they are taken 

 out : the reafon of which moil probably is, that too fudden a re- 

 laxation burfts their delicate and tender organs, and thereby 

 renders them incapable of being any more employed to perform 

 the actions of life; and indeed, there are always fome dead 

 ones amongft the living, whole bodies appear burden, or 

 lacerated, as well as others that lie extended and never come to 

 life. 



Some difcretion is needful to adapt the time of continuing the 

 grains in water or earth, to the age and drynefs of them ; for if 

 they are not opened before they have been too much or too long 

 foftened, the animalculum will not only feem dead, but will really 

 be fo. Of the two grains he mentions to have been four years 

 old when put to foak, he opened one after it had lain thirty-fix 

 hours, and the event was as already related : the other was let lie 

 for above a week, and on opening found all the anguillae near the 

 hufk dead, and feemingly in a decayed condition 5 but great 

 numbers ilfued alive from the middle, and moved themfelves 

 brflkly. Unlefs the hulks are opened ^to let thefe creatures out 

 after they have been fleeped, they all inevitably perifh ; and when 

 taken out and preferved in water,, if the hulks are left with them 



3 S 2 they 



