4 1 8 GENERATION. Sect. XXXIX. 8. 2, 



ground, and become perfect vegetables ; the whole progrefs of 

 their formation can be obferved in forty-eight hours. Obfer- 

 vations on plants by Von Uflar. Creech, Edinb. 



2. The lateral propagation of the polypus found in our ditches 

 in July, but more particularly that of the hydra ftentorea, is won- 

 derfully analogous to the above idea of the lateral generation of 

 vegetables. The hydra ftentorea, according to the account of 

 Monf. Trembley, multiplies itfelf by fplitting lengthwife ; and 

 in twenty-four hours thefe divifions, which adhere to a common 

 pedicle, refplit, and form four diftincl: animals. Thefe four in 

 an equal time fplit again, and thus double their number daily ; 

 till they acquire a figure fomewhat refembling a nofegay. The 

 young animals afterwards feparate from the parent, attach them- 

 felves to aquatic plants, and give rife to new colonies. 



Another curious animal fact is related by Blumenbach in his 

 Treatiie on Generation concerning the frefh water polypus. He 

 cut two of them in halves, which were of different colours, and 

 applying the upper part of one to the lower part of the other by 

 means of a glafs tube, and retaining them thus for fome time in 

 contact with each other, the two divided extremities united, and 

 became one animal. The facil union of the divided halves of 

 different polypi is alfo afferted by Mr. Adams. Treatife on 

 Microfcopes. 



The intelligent reader has already anticipated me in applying 

 thefe wonderful modes of lateral animal reproduction and con- 

 junction, to trfe lateral propagation and ingraftment of vegeta- 

 bles. The junction of the head part of one polypus to the tail- 

 part of another is exactly reprefented by the ingraftment of a 

 icion on the ftock of another tree, the plumula or apex of each 

 bud with the upper part of iti caudex joins to the long caudex 

 of the ftock, which pafhng down the trunk terminates in the 

 radicles of it. And if this compound vegetable could be fepa- 

 rated longitudinally from the other long filaments of the bark in 

 its vicinity, like the fibres of the bark of the mulberry tree pre- 

 pared at Otaheite, or as the bark of hemp and flax are pre- 

 pared in this country, as the young ones of the hydra ftentorea 

 ieparate from their parents, it might claim the name of a lateral 

 or paternal mule, as above mentioned. 



3. It hence appears, that every new bud of a tree, where two 

 icions have been inferted over each other on a ftock, if it could 

 be feparated from the plume to the radicle, muft confift of three 

 different kinds of caudex ; and might therefore be called a triple 

 lateral mule. And that hence it follows, that every part of this 

 new triple caudex muft have been feparated or fecreted laterally 

 from the adjoining part of the trunk of the tree ; and that it 



could 

 1 



