As described on accompanying pages listed next to the illustrations, this plate illustrates animalcules or unicellular organisms discovered under magnification when examining water from a ditch. Baker reflects on how figures I and II depict testaceous and crustaceaous animalcules, resembling shrimps or lobsters.

This plate comes from The Microscope Made Easy by Henry Baker (1698-1774), a book that popularized the microscope in the 18th century. The first section describes simple and compound microscopes along with how to prepare specimens and calculate their size. The second section introduces the reader to microscopy and the laboratory manual. Also includes "Animalcules," or microscopic animals, and anatomical discoveries made with the microscope.