2 8 Of the mufcular Fibres of Animals, 
tures, which he found by cutting off the legs of flies, 
gnats, ants, &c. in all which he could plainly dif- 
tinguifh the circular wrinkles or circumvolutions en- 
compafiing the fibres, as in fig. 69. 
Upon cutting the flefhy fibres of a whale, length- 
wife, and a-crofs, 0 he plainly difcovered each particle, 
or fleffiy fibre, to be enveloped in a fine thin membrane. 
It appear’d in the microfcope, as reprefented fig. 55. 
in which the parts lay fo clofe together, that their en~ 
compafling membranes, reprefented by the black lines, 
were but juft difcernable; fome however appear’d larger 
than others, and thefe, p if attentively view’d, feem’d 
to be divided into a great many others, fome alfo cut 
tranfverfly, and crowded fo clofe together, that their 
figure, as well as fize, was very different. Fig. 56. 
reprefents a thin fiice of the flefh of a whale, which 
after having been made thoroughly wet, and applied ' 
to the microfcope, appear’d as in the figure. Upon 
letting the moifture evaporate from thefe flices, the 
particles became much fmaller, and the membranes, 
with which each was encompaffed, were very vifible. 
Fig. 57. reprefents a piece of the fame flelh, wherein 
the particles feem’d to touch, but on their being dried, 
fhrunk up, from the furrounding membranes, whereas 
the membranes themfelves could not {hrink, becaufe 
they were all join’d together. All along thefe flefhy 
fibres q run membranes about the thicknefs of an hair, 
and diftance of a grain of fand; from thefe larger 
membranes, other parts were fpread, dividing each fibre 
into a great many fibrils j from whence we may fay, 
that each fiefny fibre, no bigger than an hair, is a fmall 
rnufcle encompaffed with its peculiar coat or membrane, 
fig. 58. reprefents a final 1 piece of thefe fibres greatly 
magnified* 
* Epift. Phyf. p. 3. p Ibid. p. 4. * Phil. Tranfi No. 39. 
