MircrocrapniA, 122 
‘nfeft all kind of Trees,fhrubs,and the like;efpecially!when they!dome ito 
any bignefs. And this we fee to bevery muchthe!method of Nature 
throughout its operations, putrifaitive Vegetables very. often producing a 
Vegetable ofa much lefs compounded. nature; :and of:a,much inferiour 
tribes and. putrefactive animal fubftances degenerating into fome kind of 
animal production of a much inferiour rank,and ofia more fimple natures 
Thus we find the humours.and fubftances of the body,upompatrefudhit 
on,to produce {trange kinds of moving Vermine :ithé putrifactioniof the 
{limes and juices of the Stomack and Guts, prodirce/ Worms almoftilike 
Earth-worms,the Wheals inchildrens hands prodice.a little Wormdall'd 
aWheal-worm: The bloud and milk, and other humours, produceother — 
kinds of Worms, at Jeaft; if we mayebelieve what iis deliven'dtousib: 
very famous Authors 5, though, I confefs, Ihave nogyyet'beenable todif 
cover fuch my felf. i ISS i TES en oibbDim gio oi 
» And whereas it may feem ftrange that#znegar; Meal, ‘multy Cashoy&e: - 
are obferv'd to breed their differing kinds of Infetts,:or'living ¢reatures, 
whereas they being Vegetable fubf{tances;feemito bz:oflan inferiout kind; 
and fo unable to produce 4 creature) more noble; of of a more:-com 
pounded nature then they themfelves are’ of, and-fo ;without fomecon- 
current feminal principle, may be thought utterly unfit for fuchan ope- 
ration ; I muft add, that we cannot prefently pofitively fay, there! are 
ho animal fubftances, either mediately,’ as: by: the {oul or fatning of ‘the 
Plant from whence they {prung,or more immediate] y;by thereal: re 
orcompofition of fuch fub{tances, join'd-with them 3 ofperchance fome 
Kind of Infeét, in fuch places where fuch kind of praying orferment> 
ing bodies are, may, by a certain inftiné& of nature;:¢j fome fort. of fe- 
minal principle, which cooperating with ‘various kinds ot putrifying fub- 
ftances, may produce various kinds of Infeéts,or Animate bodies: For we 
find in moft forts of thofe lower degtces of Animate bodies, ahat the 
putrifying fabftances on which thefe Eggs, Seeds, -or feminal principles 
‘we cait by the Infect, become, as it were, the Adatrices or Woimbs that 
_ ¢onduce very much to their generation, and may:percbance-alfo to their 
Variation and. alteration, much after the fame manner; as, by ftrange and 
unnatural copulations, {everal new Kinds of Animals are ptodued, as 
Mules, and the like, which are ufually: call d: Monftrous, ‘becaufe alittle 
unufual, though many of them have all their principal: parts as perfectly: 
thap'dand ced for their: peculiar: ufes,.as any:of the moft perfec 
Animals, If therefore the putrifying body,on: which any ‘kind of: feniinal 
or vital principle chances tobe caft, become fomewhat more then roa 
4 nurfing and ‘foftering: helper in the generation and production o 
any kind of Animate body, the more neer it approaches the true nature 
a Womb, the more power will it have onthe by-blow itinclofes. But 
Of this fomewhat mote inithe defcription-of the Water-grat.| [Perhaps 
me more: accurate Enquiries and Obfervations/about thefe «matters 
ht bring the Queftion to fome certainty; which would be of no fmalk 
“oncern in 'Natiiral Philofophyeii(:) 211 2/11! bos -couswio26 ee og ype 
» Bur that putrifjing animal fubftances may. produce animals ofaiz interior 
east es ee Ss: 
kind, 
