4 iT'-l ) 
III. J Letter from Mr Antony v^n Leeuwenhoek, 
- F. S. concerning the fief? of Whales^ Cryflaline 
humour of the Eye of Whales^ Fijh^ and other Crea-- 
tares ^ and of the ufe of the Eyelids. 
Delft in Holland^ July it. 1704. 
I Take the liberty to communicate thefe my Obferva- 
tions, which I made laft year when* our Ships returned 
from the Whale Fifhery. 
I have often concluded, that the Globules of Blood 
( which are the caufe of its Rednefs) are of the fanac 
magnitude both in great and fmall Animals^ and con- 
fequently that the Particles of Blood in a Whale are no 
larger than in another Fi(h no bigger than a Pin. 
Not being able to get at any Whale's Blood, I was 
forc'd to acquiefce in bare fpeculations. 
From the Particles of Blood my thoughts wander d to 
thofe of the Flefh ot a Whale, whereupon I defir'd fome 
that were concerned in the FiChing to bring me a piece of 
Whale's Flefti, ioiagining that the Flefh-Particles of the*" 
(aid Fifli were no bigger than thofe of a Horfe or Cow, 
and that the bulk or largenefs of a Whale coafifted only 
in the multitude of number of Particles. 
The piece of Whales Fle(h which was brought me had 
no very good fmell, by reafon of its being almoft putri- 
fy'd 5 I cut it thro crofs- ways, in order to feparate the 
Flefh- Particles according to their lengthy and I mufl: own, 
that according to the beft of my judgment, I could dif- 
cover no difference between the faid Particles in their 
fight) and thofe of a large Ox. 
The reafon why I compare a Whale with a great Ox, 
is, becaufe I imagin that the Fibres in a great Ox are 
Kkkkkkkkkk not 
