356 Dr Eschricht's Inquiries concerning, ^c, 



the highest organisms were brought into existence without 

 a progenitor ; and hence such formations are not impossible. 

 Creating power was then in its pristine vigour, now it is 

 weaker ; but that it should have totally ceased is improbable ; 

 on the contrary, it might be inferred, a priori, were it not 

 proved by facts, that it still exists, at least as concerns the 

 lowest plants and animals.'* But in referring to creation, the 

 defenders of equivocal generation appeal to what may now 

 be properly styled a miracle, that is to say, an act contrary to 

 the established laws of nature ; and this appeal is inadmis- 

 sible, because the actual phenomena can be explained only by 

 actually prevailing laws. Even were the appeal admitted, our 

 decision would be against the appellants ; for 'the analogy be- 

 tween equivocal generation and creation has ceased with the 

 discovery that the Infusoria, as well as the Entozoa, form well- 

 marked and distinct species. Once proved, then, that these 

 animals, wherever they appear, belong to the species already 

 known; it is also proved that their creation has ceased, as has 

 that of other animals ; for creation is not a re-production, but a 

 first production, — and from nothing. 



Explanation of the Plate VII.* 



Figs. 1-6, Ova; Figs. 7-9, Spermatozootical bodies of Ascaris lumbricoid^t. 

 (Fu^ p. 336 and 352.) 



Fig. 1. A transversal section of the ovary, l-25th of a line in diameter. 

 The ova, about 50 in number, about l-60th of a line long, and 1 -450th 

 broad; they form a wreath around the rachis. (Vide p. 336.) 



Fig. 2. Four ova separated, taken from the lower part of the ovary. Their 

 length is about 1-1 5th of a line, the foramen in the middle is the Pur- 

 kinjian vesicle, a represents a transversal cut of the rachis. 



Figs. 3-5. Shew the gradual metamorphosis of the ova. 



Fig. 6. A fully developed ova of the uterus, provided with a calcareous shell, 

 and a layer of transparent horn. 



Fig. 7. Spermatozootical bodies from the middle part of the testis of Ascaris 

 lumbricoides. The foramen in the middle may be regarded as the nucleus 

 of the cell, or as a Purkinjian vesicle. 



Fig. 8. One of the horns, l-120th of a line in length and 1-lOOth of a line in 

 diameter ; the sperm of the semen of the Ascaris lumbricoides here be- 

 comes milky. It consists of a central vesicle (fig. 9.), surrounded by 

 a number of smaller ones. 



# The Plate for this Memoir will be delivered in next number of tbe Journal. 



