in the management o f fmall glafs tubes, which were no thicker
than a briltle, and drawn to a very fine point at one end, but
thicker at the other. Thefe he made ufe o f to fliew and blow up
the fmalleft veflels difcovered by the microfcope, to trace, diftin-
guifh, feparate their courfes and communications, or to injeft
them with very fubtil coloured liquors.
He ufed to lbfFocate the infefts in lpirit of wine, in water, or
fpirit of turpentine, and likewife preferved them for fome time in
thefe liquids; by which means he kept the parts from putrefying,
and confequently collapfing and mixing together; and added to
them befides fuch ftrength and firmnefs, as rendered the diffec-
tions more eafy and agreeable. When he had divided tranf-
verfly With his fine fciffars the little creature he intended to
examine, and had carefully noted every thing that appeared
without further difleftion, he then proceeded to extraft the
vifcera in a very cautious and leifurely manner, with other in-
ftruments o f great finenefs ; firft taking care to walh away and
feparate, with very fine pencils, the fat with which infefts are
very plentifully fupplied, and which always prejudice the internal
parts' before it can be extracted.- This operation is belt performed
upon infers while in the nympha ftate.
Sometimes he put into water the delicate vifcera of the infects
he had fuffocated ; and then lhaking them gently, he procured
himfelf an opportunity o f examining them, efpecially the air
veffels, which by this means he could feparate from all the other
parts whole and entire, to the great admiration of all thofe who
beheld them ; as thefe veflels are not to be diftinftly feen in any
other manner, or indeed feen at all without damaging them, he
. often
often made ufe o f water, injeaed by a fyringe, to cleanfe
thoroughly the internal parts, then blew them up with air and
dried them, ; by which means he rendered them durable, and fit
for exambation at a proper opportunity. Sometimes he has examined
with the greateft fuccefs, and made the mofl important
difcoveries, in infeas that he had preferved in balfam, and kept
for years together in that condition. Again, he has frequently
made pundtures in other infeas with a very fine needle, and after
fqueezing out all their moifture through the holes made b this
manner, he filled them with air, by means of very flender
glafs tubes, then dried them in the fhade, and lafl of all anointed
them with oil of fpike, in which a little rofin had been diffolved,
by which means they retain their proper forms a long time. He
had a lingular fecret, whereby he could fo preferve the nerves of
infeas, that they ufed to continue as limber and perfpicuous as
ever they had been.
He ufed to make a fmall punaure or incifion in the tail o f
worms, and after having gently and with great patience fqueezed
out all their humours, and great part of their vifcera, he then injeaed
them with wax, fo as to give and continue to them all the
appearance of healthy vigorous living creatures. He difcovered
that the fat of all infeas was perfedtly diffolvible in oil o f turpentine;
thus he was enabled to fhew the vifcera plainly; only
after this diflolution he ufed to cleanfe and walh them well and
often in clean water. He frequently fpent whole days in thus
cleanfing a fingle caterpillar of it’s fat, in order to difcover the
true conflruaion o f this infers heart. His Angular fagaci ty m
dripping off the {kin o f caterpillars, that were upon the point of
fpinmbg their cones, deferves particular notice. This he effeaed,
S '