1 62 Of AnimaJcula in Fluids. 
almoft every puddle, can prefent us with living wonders; 
but as thefe examinations have been very little attended 
to even by thofe who are fupplied with microfcopes, I 
hope thefe directions and the variable microfcope, will 
be a means to whet the inclinations of the induftri- 
ous enquirer, the difficulties in the ufe of the common 
inftruments being here removed. 
Mr. Leeuwenhoek found fome furprifing animalcules, 
adhering to the lens paluftris f , or duck-weed, which he 
examined in a glafs tube filled with water; one fort of 
thefe were fhaped like bells, with long tails, whereby 
they faftened themfelves to the roots of thefe weeds. 
H M, fig. 310. reprefents a fmall part of the root, as it 
appear’d in the microfcope, fuppofed to be almoft wi¬ 
thered and over-grown, with a great many long parti¬ 
cles which are feen between K and L. The animal- 
cula reprefenting little bells, g are feen at I S T. 
On feveral of thefe roots were obferved one, and fome- 
times two (heaths or cafes of various fizes fattened thereto 
by the fmall end : the largeft is exhibited at R X Y, 
out of which (heath appeared a little animal, whofe fore 
part was roundifti as at X Y Z, from whence proceeded 
two little wheels that had a fwift gyration always one 
•and the fame way, and were thickly fet with teeth or 
notches as at P Q_R S. When they have for fome time 
exerted their circular motion, they draw the wheels into 
their bodies, and their bodies wholly into their (heath, 
and foon after thruft themfelves out again and renew the 
aforefaid motion. Mr. Leeuwenhoek obferved the cafe 
of one of thefe animalcules to be compofed of round bub¬ 
bles, h as is reprefented at N, O, T. When this ani¬ 
malcule had thruft that part of its body from O to P, 
out 
f Phil. Tranf. No. 283, 293, 337. s Ibid. No. 283. 
* Ibid. No. 295. 
