( '?? ) 
redly acrofs, but ' fomething obliquely, by which 
their Apertures had been clos’d in fuch a manner, 
that I could not perceive them, nor the lead Re- 
femblance of them, 
I have feveral times obferv’d, between the Mufcu- 
lar Fibres of the Filh, a great number of Veffel6 lying 
together, which compos’d what is commonly call’d a 
Membrane, which Velfels furrounded the Mufcular 
Fibres, and lay fo many of them together, that the 
thicknefs of the whole Fafciculus of V effels was equal 
to that of a Mufcular Fibre, and, as I imagin’d, was 
afterwards to be difpers’d in fmaller Ramifications be- 
tween the Fibres. 
In taking a View of an entire Mufcle of a Cod- 
fifh, and the Fibres of which it was compos’d,! found 
the thick end of the Mufcle to equal the Back of an 
ordinary Knife, and the thinner end not to exceed 
the thicknefs of a fingle Fibre. Many of thefe Fi- 
bres are twice as long as the thicknefs of the Muf- 
cle, and between the Mufcles lie what are commonly 
call’d Membranes, which are nothing elfe but a Con • 
geries of Veffels. Thefe Velfels do not only run be- 
tween the Fibres, but into the very Subfiance of e- 
very Fibre, as we fee, when the Fibres are cut tranf- 
verfly. By thefe VefTels the Mufcular Fibres, and 
the entire Mufcles themfelves are fo firmly bound 
together, that they ferve inflead of Tendons to one 
another. 
In like manner the Mufcular Fibres are united to 
the Bones, by the Velfels proceeding from the Bones, 
which Velfels compofe what in Land -Animals is cal- 
led the Periofleum. 
E e 
In 
