Sect. XXXIX. i r . 5. GENERATION. 43 7 



cia ; the buds of which may properly be called male or female 

 vegetables, and differ in fome degree in their form and colour, 

 like male and female animals ; and in this they refemble the 

 larger animals, as their fexual glands acquire or produce their 

 prolific fluids from different maffes of blood •, which is probably 

 lefs cumberfome to the individual, than where both the fexual 

 glands exift in one organized fyftem. 



In all thefe vegetable and animal modes of reproduction, I 

 fuppofe the new embryon to begin in many points, and in com- 

 plicated animals in many more points probably than in the more 

 fimple ones ; and finally, that as thefe new organized parts, or # 

 rudiments of the embryon, acquire new appetencies, ami pro- 

 duce or find molecules with new propenfities, many fecondary 

 parts are afterwards fabricated. 



Thus it would appear, that all nature exifls in a ftate of per- 

 petual improvement by laws impreffed on the atoms of matter 

 by the great cause of causes ; and that the world may ftill be 

 in its infancy, and continue to improve for ever and ever. 



5. Concerning the fpontaneous production of inicrofcopic 

 animalcules, I beg leave to repeat, firft, that I fuppole the 

 fmalleft ones to be formed by the coalefcence or embrace of the 

 animal fibrils, which poffefs appetencies, with the animal mole- 

 cules, which poffefs correfpondent propenfities ; and that the 

 animal fibrils and molecules are found in all vegetable and ani- 

 mal matter, as its organization becomes decompofed ; if there 

 exifts along with it fufheient moifture and proper warmth. 



Secondly, that this kind of fpontaneous reproduction refem- 

 bles actual generation in its confiding of the coalefcence of an- 

 imal fibrils with appetencies and animal molecules with corref- 

 pondent propenfities, that in the former they meet each other 

 in the folution of animal matter, as it decompofes by ftagna- 

 tion j whereas in the latter thefe formative fibrils and molecules 

 are fecreted bv different pdands from the blood of the parent. 



Thirdly, that the firft animalcules produce other ones by ac- 

 tual generation, but without fexes, like the buds of trees, and 

 that as many generations may occur in a day, perhaps in an 

 hour, I conceive, that they may gradually acquire new organi- 

 zations, and improve by addition of new parts, as of fins, mouth, 

 interlines, and finally, perhaps, fexual organs of reproduction. 

 Thus the feed of a tulip produces a fmall root the fize of a pea 

 the firfl fummer, with a fummit like a blade of grafs ; this dies 

 in autumn, having previoufly produced a fucceffor larger than 

 itfelf, and with a ftronger leaf qr fummit ; in the autumn this 

 likewife perifhes, and a third generation is produced, which is 

 ftill larger and more perfect ; till the fifth generation from the 



feed 



