101 Conclusion. 



had they remained longer in the Ocean, would moft pro- 

 bably have been equally effaced, by a fucceeding Progeny. 



It may feem too hafty to conclude, that not only the 

 Subftances, defcribcd iii the preceding Pages, are of Animal 

 Produ6lion, but even that thofe more compadl Bodies, known 

 by the common Appellations of Star-Stones, Brain-Stones, 

 pttrelicd Fungi, and the like, brought from various Parts of • 

 the Eaft and Wejl Indies, are of the fame Origin ; and yet, 

 there is one very ftrong Prefumption in favour of fuch an 

 Opinion ; which arifes from this Obfervation, That the 

 Ocean, in all the warmer Latitudes near the Shores, and 

 v/herever it is poilible to obferve, abounds fo much with 

 Animal Liie, that no inanimate Body can long remain un- 

 occupied by forae Species. In thofe Regions, the Ships Bot- 

 toms are foon covered with the Habitations of Thoufands of 

 Animals ; Rocks, Stones, and every Thing lifelefs, are co- 

 vered with them inftantly. Even the Branches of living Vege- 

 tables that hang into the Water are immediately loaded with 

 the Spawn of different Animals,. Shell-fifh of various Kiods. 

 And Shell-fifb themfelves, when they grow impotent and 

 old, become the Bails of new Colonies of Animals, from 

 whofe Attacks they can no longer defend themfelves. 



If therefore Animal Life is here fo plentifully diffufed, 

 that neither inanimate Bodies, nor thofe in which the 

 Powers of Vegetation are vigorous, nor Animals themfelves, 

 if declining from their natural Vigour, can be fecured 

 from Encroachments; how canwe to fuppofe, that the Bo- 

 dies we are treating of, were they inanimate altogether, 

 could' remain fo free as we find them, from fuch Intruders ? 

 In fhort, was there no other Reafon to fupport the Allega- 

 tion, this alone feems to make it more than probable, that 

 the Polypes inhabiting the Corallines, Corals, Star-Stones, 



Brain- 



