An ahflraCi of ^Letter from Mr. Anthony Leevven- 
hoeck Delft, dated^Sep. 17. 1683. ^^^^^^^- 
ing/omeU.'icwkoiiiczl Obfervations, about Ani- 
mzhin thefcurf of the Teeth, the fubjiance caWd 
Worms in ;he Nofe, the Cuticula confifling of 
i'cales. 
I Formerly fent fome Obfervations about Spittle, 
which! find have been Printed in the Ledures and 
Colledions ot Mr. 7(. in the year i^^yS. Since that 
time I have often oblerved my Spittle, out of this Con- 
fideration, that if there be any Animals difperfed in our 
Body, they may at fome time or other, be emptied out 
of the DuBus Sahvales into the Mouth. But my expe- 
ctation in this particular has fail'd, for I have perceived 
no Animals, or other thing in Spittle than what I for-, 
merly mentioned. 
Tho my Teeth are kept ufually very clean, neverthe- 
lefs when I view them in a Magnifying Glafs, I find grow- 
ing between them a little white matter as thick as wette.d, 
flower ; in this fubftance tho I could not perceive any^ 
motion, I judged there might probably be living Crea-> 
tures. ' ^ 
I therfore took fome of this flower and mixt iteit^i^r 
with pure rain water wherein were noAnimalss or eLfe 
with fome of my Spittle f having no Air bubbles to caufe 
a motion initj and then to my great furprize perceived 
that the aforefaid matter contained very many fmall liv-^ 
ing Animals, which moved themfelves very extravagant- 
ly, the biggeft fort had the fbape of A, their motion 
was ftrong and nimble, and they darted themfelves thro 
the water or fpittle, as a Jack or Pike does thro the wa- 
ter. Thefe were generally not many in number. The 
