Of the Wheel Animal. '269 
Attention, under all its various Appearan¬ 
ces, and made feveral Obfervations thereon 
more than he has left us, the fame Motive in¬ 
duces me to give the bed; Account thereof I 
S O 
can. 
I call it a Water Animal\ becaufe its Ap¬ 
pearance as a living Creature is only in that 
Element. I give it alfo for Diftindtion Sake 
the Name of Wheeler , Wheel Infect or Animal > 
from its being furnifhed with a Pair of In- 
ftruments, which in Figure and Motion ap¬ 
pear much to refemble Wheels. It can, how¬ 
ever, continue many Months out of Water, 
and dry as Duff :; in which Condition its 
Shape is globular, its Bignefs exceeds not 
a Grain of Sand, and no Signs of Life appear. 
Not withftanding, being put into Water, in the 
Space of Half an Hour a languid Motion be¬ 
gins, the Globule turns itfelf about, length¬ 
ens by flow Degrees, becomes in the Form of 
a lively Maggot , and moft commonly in a few 
Minutes afterwards puts out its Wheels, and 
fwims vigoroufly through the Water in 
Search of Food ; or elfe, fixing by its Tail, 
works them in fuch a Manner as to bring 
its Food to it. But fometimes it will remain 
a long While in the Maggot Form, and not 
fhew its Wheels at all.-——-The Drawings 
i^eprefent thefe different Changes; and I hope 
to lhew how they are performed. 
If the Water flanding in Gutters of Lead, 
or the flimy Sediment it leaves behind, has 
any Thing of a red Colour, one may be almofc 
certain 
