Ohservaiions on Animalcules. 
16o 
bl6od>—a bra'iii to supply nerves in every part of the minute struc¬ 
ture,^—muscles necessary to its motions,-—glands for the seci^etion of 
its fluids,—stomach and bowels to digest its food,-—eyes to direct its 
progress,—and a mouth to take ill its nourishnlent! 
*‘How sweet to muse upon His skill, display’d 
“(Infinite skill!) in all that He has made. 
“To trace in Nature’s most minute design, 
“The signature and stamp of Power Divine ; 
“Contrivance exrjuisite, expressed'with ease, 
“Where unassisted sight no beauty sees; 
*‘The shapely limb, arid lubricated jointj 
“Within the small dimensions of a point; 
“Muscle and nerve, miraculously spun j 
“His mighty work, who speaks, and it is done ! 
“Th’ invisible in things scarce seen revealed, 
“To whom an atom is an ample field.” 
It is the opinion of several eminent naturalists that many animal¬ 
cules found in water are not natural inhabitants of that element, but 
are only passing the first stage of their existence in it; and after 
changing their form, become inhabitants of the air. It seems highly 
probable that those minute and invisible little flies, which doubtless 
are eVery-where floating in the air, when they find a fluid stored with 
proper nourishment for their future offspring, may be supposed to 
resort to it in swarms, and there deposit their eggs.—These eggs 
being soon hatched, the infant brood swim about and live in it, till 
grown-to their stated size ; they then in due time change their forms, 
and fly away. Mr, Baker, whose observations on this subject were 
the most accurate, took every method to ascertain this fact; and he 
says, that after carefully noticing some kinds of animalcules in several 
fluids; to be grown to a certain size, on a sudden he found they were 
all gone, and only a much smaller, and consequently a younger race^ 
of the same species remaining: these also, when grown to a like size, 
took their departure. When the infusion was covered, (though with 
but muslin or fine lawn) he constantly found that few animalcules 
were produced in it; but upon taking off the covering it was in a few 
days full of them. This certainly goes to prove, that the eggs from 
which these animalcules proceed, must either be brought there by 
their'ovra parents, or be brought with the air. Perhaps, indeed, it 
may happen from both ways, for, as the eggs of such minute creatures 
are lighter than air, and so small as not even to intercept the rays of 
light from the eye, millions may, in their proper season, be floating 
almost every-where; in places unsuitable to their natures, they will 
perish, biit if they fall into a situation adapted to their support, they 
will hatch and come to perfection. I must however say, that I con¬ 
sider it the most probable that the eggs are deposited by the parent. 
Vlo. l,No. 10. 3 m 
