HISTORY OF ZOOPHYTOLOGY. 11 



result of the observations of above thirty years, but we find in it 

 no facts in support of his theory additional to those already men- 

 tioned, for the greater portion of it is occupied with many de- 

 tails on the medical uses and other applications of coral which 

 have no relation to the question at issue. It seems at first to 

 have excited considerable attention amongf the members of the 

 Royal Society, but Peyssonnel's endeavours were doomed ever 

 to be unfortunate, for whatever favour his theory was likely to 

 receive here was nipt in the bud by the opposition of Dr Par- 

 sons, a naturalist of considei'able eminence, and an active mem- 

 ber of the society. The analysis of Peyssonnel's treatise was 

 read in May 1752, and in June of the same year, Dr Parsons 

 read his answer,* which savours much of the supercilious dog- 

 matism of a sceptical philosophy. He does not pretend that he 

 had tested the doctrine of Peyssonnel by any experiments or 

 observations, nor does he question his veracity, but he chose to 

 consider the animals observed by Peyssonnel in the coral and 

 madrepores as merely accidental settlers which had nothing to do 

 with their growth, — occupants of mansions prepared for them by 

 more active entities, — there being no " seeming power, propor- 

 tion, and stability" in the polypes to render them capable of per- 

 forming such works as they were thought to have done. " And 

 indeed it would seem to me," says the learned doctor, " much 

 more difficult to conceive, that so fine an arrangement of parts, 

 such masses as these bodies consist of, and such reo'ular ramifi- 

 cations in some, and such well-contrived organs to serve for ve- 

 getation in others, should be the operations of little, poor, help- 

 less, jelly-like animals, rather than the work of more sure vege- 

 tation, which carries on the growth of the tallest and largest 

 trees with the same natural ease and influence, as the minutest 

 plant." 



The mineral theory also found at this period its latest advo- 

 cate. Henry Baker, during his numerous microscopical enqui- 

 ries, had become familiar with the beautiful and regular " ve- 

 getations" which many salts and earths assume in their crystal- 



* A Letter from James Parsons, M. D. F. R. S. to the Rev. Mr Birch, Seer. 

 R. S. concerning the Formation of Corals, Corallines, &c. For an account of 

 Dr Parson's writings see Hall. Bib. Bot. ii. 340 ; and there is a short biogra- 

 phical notice of him in Phil. Trans, abridg. viii. 692. 



