9 3 A Defcription of the Polype.^ , 

 be called a Kind of Vegetation: but, Sir, it 

 would, in my Opinion, be highly imperti- 

 nent to wafte your Time in Arguments 

 about that Matter, unlefs we knew a little 

 better the exad: Boundaries of animal and 

 vegetable Life, and could certainly point out 

 where one ends, and the other begins. In- 

 ftead, therefore, of wrangling about Words, 

 or entering on a DIfpute I am wholly un- 

 qualified to decide ; and which, if I could 

 clear it, is, I think, of no great Confe- 

 quence 5 I fliall conclude this Chapter, and 

 prepare the Way to my Experiments, by 

 endeavouring from the whole of what has 

 gone before to draw up a concife and plain 

 Defcription of the Polype, 



The Polype is a little frefh -water Ani^ 

 mal, whofe Body extends or contrafts itfelf, 

 occafionally, from the Length of an Inch or 

 more, and the Thicknefs of an Hog's Brif- 

 tle or lefs, to the Shortnefs of a fingle Line, 

 with a proportionable Increafe of Width. 

 Its Form is round and tubular: having at 

 one End the Head and Mouth, about which 

 fix, eight, ten, and fometimes more Arms, 

 of a moil curious Conftrudlion, are regular- 

 ly placed like Radii, Thefe Arms can ftretch 

 out to confiderable Diftances, or contrad-, as 

 the Body does; and ferve, like a Net or 

 Snare, to entangle little Infeds that come 

 within its Circuit. At the oppofite End is 



the 



