by the rings that were formerly ftreight, appear ferpen^- 
tine, as between and y. 
In a letter of mine to Mr. Oldenburg (which was not 
poblifhedj I affirmed, that Concoilion was not performed 
hy 2iti Jcid liquor diffolving our meat, but by the motion 
oi the Stomachy and guts, which bruifes, and breaks the 
meat to pieces. This motion is caufed by the Diaphragme 
preffing upon the parts of the lower belly, as often as we 
take breath ; in the fame manner as a bladder almoll 
full of water, is molded and rolled between the hands. 
There is alfo a natural roarmth to beconfidered in the 
jhmach, and a natural folding or clofing it felt about the 
ViUuals which it holds, be it never fo little ; butefpeci- 
ai!y there is a kneedingor contrad:ing of themselves, re* 
marqueable in the Bowels of beafts, even after they are 
taken out of the body. I am lately more confirmed in this 
opinion^ by my obfervations on the Excrements of a Codfijh. 
which I find to be made up of very fliort pieces of the Fi- 
laments oiFiJh, appearing by the Microfcope like the fliav-^ 
ings of ones Beard, for as in fome Creatures the taking of 
breath, fo in fiflies the moving of the Gills. ^ caufes a com- 
preffion and dilatation in thtjhmach^ whereby the y^//- 
mentis catcht in its folds, nipt a hinder, and divided into 
fuch fmall particles as are fit for the nourifliment of their 
bodies. Now if the ContraBion of the Jiomach be fuppof- 
ed to happen no oftner then a man ^T^<g:i^/^j- in anhour, 
there will be about 5ooo times: which will be quickly 
enough to waft, and tear in pieces a little fiflifwallowed 
down by a great one, although the teeth of the Devourer^ 
and the Jtid juice fliould contribute nothing to dzgeftion. 
Sometimes thefe threds are not to be found in the ex- 
crements, as perhaps when the Codfijh has been long catcht, 
and without food, for then the threds are broken foihort, 
that they are no bigger when they are voyded5theB fmall 
Globules, which I judged to be I ot a blood Globule, When 
thtCodfi/h has abundance of food, then the pieces of 
A a a 2 threds. 
