i6o EMBRYOLOGY IN THE SEVENTEENTH [pt. ii 



aware of this, but did not understand the meaning of it. Again, the 

 foetus in utero moves during the mother's sleep, and vice versa. Nym- 

 manus' dissertation is an interesting study in the transition from 

 theological to scientific embryology which took place all through the 

 seventeenth century, and may be followed in the writings of Varan- 

 daeus, de Castro, Dolaeus, Hildanus, Scultetus, Ammanus, Augerius 

 and Garmannus. The problem of animation-time, a more meta- 

 physical aspect of the same question, was still being handled, but 

 less attention was being paid to it than formerly. Honoratus Faber's 

 De Generatione Animalium of 1666 does not belong to its period. Its 

 author, a Jesuit, proceeds in scholastic fashion to lay down four 

 definitions, three axioms, one hypothesis, and seventy-seven pro- 

 positions, in the last of which he summarises his conclusions. He is 

 interesting in that he displayed a disbelief in spontaneous generation, 

 thereby anticipating Redi, and he is careful to mention the work of 

 Harvey, but nevertheless his treatise is of little value. His chief 

 importance is that he is an epigenesist, and therefore demonstrates 

 to us how the true opinion was becoming accepted, when Malpighi's 

 brilliant observations and bad theory sent it out of favour, and pre- 

 pared the way for the numerous controversies of the following 

 century. 



3-6. Walter Needham and Robert Boyle 



It was in 1666 also that the following appeared in the Philosophical 

 Transactions of the Royal Society : 



A way of preserving birds taken out of the egge, and other small f actus' s: 

 communicated by Mr. Boyle. 



When I was sollicitous to observe the Processe of Nature in the Forma- 

 tion of the Chick, I did open Hens Eggs, some at such a day, and some 

 at other daies after the beginning of the Incubation, and carefully taking 

 out the Embryo's, embalmed each of them in a distinct Glass (which is 

 to be carefully stopt) in Spirit of Wine; Which I did, that so I might have 

 them in readinesse to make on them, at any time, the Observations, I 

 thought them capable of affording; and to let my Friends at other seasons 

 of the year, see, both the differing appearances of the chick at the third, 

 fourth, seventh, fourteenth, or other daies, after the eggs had been sate 

 on, and (especially) some particulars not obvious in chickens, that go 

 about, as the hanging of the Gutts out of the Abdomen, etc. How long 



