in Semilie Mafculino. 153 
far as he knew* he was the firfi Perfon who 
had ever done fo; that he had found in fuch 
Semen infinite Numbers of Animalcules , moll 
exceedingly minute, almoil in the Shape of 
Tadpoles or young Frogs ; and that he had 
made this Difcovery known to the World 
in the 30th of the Epbemerides Eruditorum? 
printed at Paris in the fame Year 1678. 
Mr. Leeuwenhoek, in the 113th of 
his Bpifiles (dated January 1678) is very 
angry at this Claim; and afferts, that he 
hiinfelf firfi difcovered the Animalcules in 
Semine; and fent Account thereof to the 
Royal Society in November 1677, as he 
proves by the Pbilofophical Tranfadlions , pub- 
lilhed in December i 6 yy, and in January 
and February 1678. Nay, he farther affirms, 
that Letters had paired between him and 
Mr. Oldenburg on this Subjed in 1674* 
This Difpute concerns us no farther than as 
it Ihews about what Time the Bxiflence of 
thefe Animalcules was firfi difcovered, which 
fome of my curious Readers may perhaps be 
inquifitive to know. 
The general Appearance or Figure of the 
Animalcules in the Semen Mafcalinum 6f dif¬ 
ferent Kinds of living Creatures is very much 
the fame : that is, the Bodies of them aH 
feem of an oblong oval Form, with long ta¬ 
pering flender Tails ifiiung therefrom > and 
as by this Shape they fomewhat refemhle 
! "Tadpoles * 
