Eels in blighted Wheat . 25 1 
(whofe Infide is likewife frequently con¬ 
verted into a black Powder :) but Abundance 
of Ears may be obferved in fome Fields of 
Corn, having Grains that appear blackifh, as 
if fcorched and fuch when opened are found 
to contain a [oft white Snbjlance, that atten¬ 
tively examined feems to be nothing elfe 
hurt a Congeries of Threads, or Fibres, lying 
as clofe as poilible to each other in a paral¬ 
lel Direction, and much refembling the un¬ 
ripe Down of fome Thirties, on cutting open 
the Flower-Heads before they begin to blow. 
This fibrous Matter difcovers not the leart: 
Sign of Life or Motion unlefs Water be ap¬ 
plied to it; but immediately on wetting 
(provided the Grains of Wheat are newly 
gathered) the fuppofed Fibres feparate, and 
prove themfelves to be living Creatures, by 
Motions that at firrt are very languid, but 
gradually become more vigorous, twifting or 
wriggling themfelves fomewhat in the Man¬ 
ner of the Eels in Parte, but always much 
fiow r er than they, and with a great deal lefs 
Regularity; for in them the Head and Tail 
are conrtantly moving, contrary wife, and 
alternately, with the fame Kind of bending 
or Undulation in the Bodies of them all ; 
whereas the Animalcules we are now de- 
fcribing have no Uniformity in their Motion, 
but bend their two Extremities fometimes 
differently, and fometimes in the fame Di¬ 
rection. 
If 
