C<7 ] 
'XIII. A Letter from Mr . James Sherwood, 
Surgeon , to Martin Folkes, Efq\ Prefident 
of the Royal Society, concerning the minute 
Eels in Pafte being viviparous . 
I R , 
Feb. 13. & LTHO' the microfcopical Gbje&s, 
Lx, which I have the Honour to inform 
you of at prefent, have been already very commonly 
feen and obferved by many of the Curious 5 yet I 
flatter myfelf the Obfervations I have had the Happi* 
ncfs to make on them, and which you were pleafed 
to be a Witnefs of, will be no lefs entertaining to 
the Royal Society , than extraordinary in the Event* 
The Eels in four Pafte are the Animalcules in 
X^ueftion $ in which. Accident (which has often in- 
troduced amazing Difcoveries) has opened the follow- 
ing Scene to me. 
Examining one Day a Number of thefe Eels, and 
having a Mind to view a Angle one, I placed the largeft 
I could find in a fmall Drop of Water, under the Mi* 
crofcope , in doing of which I found I had wounded 
him in the Belly 5 a long (lender Tube proceeded from 
the Wound, doubled in the Form of an Inteftine, 
which I then took it for. 
The next Day I communicated this to Mr. Turbe - 
ville Needham 5 and, having a Mind to fee the Vif 
cera , as we then thought, he cut one in two, near 
the Middle 5 when, to our great Surprize* we found 
this Part had (hot out from each of the divided Ends, 
I % and 
