And 'tis easie to make such a counterfeit Sand with deeply ting'd
Glass, Enamels and Painters colours.
It were endless to describe the multitudes of Figures I have met with in
these kind of minute bodies, such as _Spherical_, _Oval_, _Pyramidal_,
_Conical_, _Prismatical_, of each of which kinds I have taken notice.
But amongst many others, I met with none more observable than this pretty
Shell (described in the _Figure_ X. of the fifth _Scheme_) which, though as
it was light on by chance, deserv'd to have been omitted (I being unable to
direct any one to find the like) yet for its rarity was it not
inconsiderable, especially upon the account of the information it may
afford us. For by it we have a very good instance of the curiosity of
Nature in another kind of Animals which are remov'd, by reason of their
minuteness, beyond the reach of our eyes, so that as there are several
sorts of Insects, as Mites, and others, so small as not yet to have had any
names; (some of which I shall afterwards describe) and small Fishes, as
Leeches in Vineger; and smal vegetables, as Moss, and Rose-Leave-plants;
and small Mushroms, as mould: so are there, it seems, small Shel-fish
likewise, Nature shewing her curiosity in every Tribe of _Animals_,
_Vegetables_, and _Minerals_.
I was trying several small and single Magnifying Glasses, and casually
viewing a parcel of white Sand, when I perceiv'd one of the grains exactly
shap'd and wreath'd like a Shell, but endeavouring to distinguish it with
my naked eye, it was so very small, that I was fain again to make use of
the Glass to find it; then, whilest I thus look'd on it, with a Pin I
separated all the rest of the granules of Sand, and found it afterwards to
appear to the naked eye an exceeding small white spot, no bigger than the
point of a Pin.
Pages:
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221