66* FLANARIA FELINA. 



my possession. Its reproductions are par- 

 ticularly to be admired, because I observed 

 one of the same species, with a bifid tail, 

 lose both parts by spontaneous division ; and 

 although each fragment acquired a new 

 head, and became perfect in its kind, the 

 mutilated trunk regenerated only a single 

 new extremity. 



These circumstances contributed still fur- 

 ther to corroborate my belief in the proba- 

 ble effect of experiment. They proved that 

 superfluous organs, however they origina- 

 ted, might exist, without injury to plana- 

 riae. Therefore, if separating parts became 

 complete animals ; if a mutilated trunk re- 

 gained the defective portion ; and if a head, 

 the most important of all organs, was evol- 

 ved from every inconsiderable fragment, it 

 was reasonable to conclude, that, by some 

 particular operation, supernumerary parts 

 might be produced. Yet it was long be- 

 fore reiterated trials were rewarded with 

 success, and I had almost determined to 

 abandon the enquiry, conceiving that a cer- 



I 



