Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 012.djvu/13

 three times with the water. And in this I observ'd some few very little living creatures and seeing them, I thought they might have been produced in the leaden gutters in some water, that had there remain'd before.

On the same day, the Rain continuing, I took a great Porcelain-dish, and exposed it to the free Air upon a wooden vessel, about a foot and a half high, that so no earthy parts, from the falling of the Rain-water upon that place, might be spatter'd or dashed into the said dish. With the first water that fell into the dish, I washed it very clean, and then flung the water away, and receiv'd fresh into it, but could discern no living creatures therein; only I saw many irregular terrestrial parts in the same.

The 30. of May, after I had, ever since the 26th, observ'd every day twice or thrice the same Rain-water, I now discover'd some, yet very few, exceeding little Animals, which were very clear.

The 31th of May, I perceived in the same water more of those Animals, as also some that were somewhat bigger. And I imagine, that many thousands of these little Creatures do not equal an ordinary grain of Sand in bigness: And comparing them with a Cheese-mite (which may be seen to move with the naked eye) I make the proportion of one of these small Water-creatures to a Cheese-mite, to be like that of a Bee to a Horse: For, the circumference of one of these little Animals in water, is not so big as the thickness of a hair in a Cheese-mite

June 9th, having received, early in the morning, some Rain-water in a dish, as before, and poured it into a very clean Wine-glass, and exposed it about 8 of the clock in the morning to the Air, about the height of the third story of my house, to find, whether the little Animals would appear the sooner in the water, thus standing in the Air:

Observing the same accordingly the 10th of June, I imagin'd, I saw some living creatures therein; but because they seem'd to be but very few in number, nor were plainly discernable, I had no mind to trust to this observation.

The 11th of the same month, seeing this water move in the Glass from a stiff gale of wind (which had blown for 36 hours without intermission, accompanied with a cold, that I could very well endure my Winter-cloaths,) I did not think, I should then perceive any living creatures therein; yet viewing it at-