Essays in natural history and philosophy. Containing a series of discoveries, by the assistance of microscopes / By John Hill.

  • Hill, John, 1714?-1775.
Date:
1752
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Essays in natural history and philosophy. Containing a series of discoveries, by the assistance of microscopes / By John Hill. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    by the Tail, or edged Portion of the Body; the Membrane of which, vibrating about, caufed all the progreffive as well as the turning Motions of the Creature. Sometimes the whole hinder Part of the Body was thrown backward and for¬ ward, alternately, with great Rapidity: At others the main Trunk or Stem remained fixed, and only the Membrane itfelf moved, either in a vibratory Manner from Side to Side, or elfe by drawing together and expanding again ; the Edges being occafionally drawn one to the other, and the Trunk inclofed, as it were, in a Cafe formed by them ; and at other times the whole either partly or totally expanded. According to thefe different Directions, the Creature moved more or lefs fwifdy forward as it turned to one Side or the other? or kept fufpended without any Change of its Place. The Portion of Fluid in which I had put thefe Creatures for Obfervation, was not fait Water of my own preparing; but fome of the genuine Water of the Sea : It had come up in the Veffel out of which they were taken, with their Portion of the Plant: It was confequently full of Inhabitants of the Animalcule Kind, and we faw thefe preying upon one another incelfantly, as is always the Cafe where there are of dif¬ ferent Species. But thefe which were vaflly iu~ periof to all in Size, and capable of iwallowing up Multitudes of the largeft of the Devourers at a Mouthful, never made an Attempt upon any of thems nor feemed at all concerned about 3 them *