Micrographia illustrata, or, the knowledge of the microscope explain'd: together with an account of a new invented universal, single or double microscope, either of which is capable of being applied to an improv'd solar apparatus ... ; To which is added, a translation of Mr. Joblott's observations on the animalcula, that are found in many different sorts of infusions; and a very particular account of that surprising phænomenon, the fresh water polype, translated from the French treatise of Mr. Trembley ... / By George Adams.

  • George Sr. Adams
Date:
1747
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Micrographia illustrata, or, the knowledge of the microscope explain'd: together with an account of a new invented universal, single or double microscope, either of which is capable of being applied to an improv'd solar apparatus ... ; To which is added, a translation of Mr. Joblott's observations on the animalcula, that are found in many different sorts of infusions; and a very particular account of that surprising phænomenon, the fresh water polype, translated from the French treatise of Mr. Trembley ... / By George Adams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    i ^ 8 On /hiking Fire with a Flint and Steel. aer than a Pin’s Point, appear’d like a Ball of polifh’d Steel, as at Fig. 55S. and ftrongly reflected the Image of tl]e Window, and of a Stick which he moved up and down between the Light and it. Others were, as to their Bulk, pretty round, but their Surface not fo fmooth •, fome were cracked, as Fig. 559. others broke in two, and hollow, as Fig. 561. feveral others were found of other Shapes •, but that reprefented at Fig. 560. was ob- ferved to be a big Spark of Fire, and ftuck to the Flint, by the Root F, at the End of which Stem was faftened an Hemifphere, or hollow Ball. It is alfo remarkable, that fome of thefe Sparks are Slivers, or Chips of Iron vitrified, others are only the Slivers melted into Balls, without Vitrification, * and the third Kind are only fmall Slivers of the Iron, made red-hot with the Violence of the Stroke given on the Steel by the Flint. Many Sorts of Sand, fome gather’d on the Sea-fhore, or on the Sides of Rivers, and fome found on the Land, differ in the Size, Form, and Colour of their Grains, fome being tranfparent, others opake, fome have rough, and others quite fmooth Surfaces. It would be endlefs to defcribe all the Figures to be met with in thefe Kind of minute Bodies, they being fpheri- cal, oval, pyramidal, conical, prifmatical, &c, Mr. Hook trying feveral magnifying Glades, by viewing a Parcel of white Sand, cafually hit upon one of the Grains, which was exadtly fhaped and wreathed like a Shell, which he feparated from the reft of the Granules, and found it to appear to the naked Eye no bigger than a Pin’s Point, but when viewed in the Mi- crofcope, it appear’d as in Fig. 562. refembling the Shell of a fmall Water Snail; f it had twelve Wreathings, growing all proportionably one lefs than the other, towards the Middle or Center of the Shell, where there was a very fmall round white Spot. In this minute Shell we have a very good Inftance of the Curiofity of Nature, in another Kind of Animals, removed by their Smalinefs beyond the Reach of the naked Eye ; and as there are fe¬ veral Sorts of Infedts and Vegetables, fo fmall as to have had no Names ; fo likewife by this, we find there are alfo exceeding fmall, or rather minute Shell-fifh. Nature, by the Alfiftance of the Microfcope, having fhewn to us her Curiofities, in every Tribe of Animals, Vegetables, and Minerals. \ Sect. II. Of Jmall Diamonds or Sparks in Flint. A Flint Stone being broke in Pieces, the infide Cavity of it appear’d to ^ be crufted all over with a pretty candid Subftance, refledting the Light from fome of its Parts very vividly *, but on examining it with the Micro- fC0Pe^ the whole Surface of that Cavity could be perceived to be befetwith * Hook's Micr, p, 44. F Ilid. p* 80. a Mul-