Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.18177

    Carp spawn

    Date
    1766
    Creator
    Adam Wolfgang Winterschmidt (1733 - 1796, German) , Engraver
    After
    Martin Frobene Ledermuller (1719 - 1769, German) , Naturalist
    Object type
    Library reference
    48660
    Material
    Technique
    Dimensions
    height (print): 245mm
    width (print): 195mm
    Subject
    Description
    Study of the spawn of a carp viewed by microscope, under magnification. With a circled inset detail showing the same view at natural size.

    Plate 60 from Amusement microscopique, tant pour l'esprit que pour les yeux, contenant... estampes... d'apres nature...by Martin Frobene Ledermuller, plates volume (Adam Wolfgang Winterschmidt, Nuremburg, 1766).

    Inscribed above: ‘TAB.LX.’

    The accompanying text is headed: ‘Table LX. Une petite Goute de Lait de Carpe’ [a small drop of carp’s milk]. The author explains in the accompanying text: ‘L’on me fit un Jour Présent d’une belle Carpe, que je fis d’abord vuider en ma présence, asin d’en tire ren peu de la Laite, pour l’examiner avec le Microscope…j’y apercus des Millions de Créatures vivantes, formées en Oeufs, & qui marquoient un Mouvement libre. Il faut cependant, que j'observe en passant, que l'on ne trouvera point ces animalcules dans le lait d'une Carpe male’ [One day I was presented with a beautiful carp, which I first made to see in my presence, so as to draw some little milk, to examine it with the microscope...I saw millions of living creatures, formed into eggs, in free movement…It is necessary however, that I observe in passing, that one will not find these animalcules in the milk of a male Carp].

    Martin Frobene [Frobenius] Ledermuller (1719-1769) German naturalist was employed in various capacities as a notary, turning to microscope studies after an illness induced temporary deafness.
    Associated place
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