24 SEMINAL VERMICULL je 
have already been anfwered in the beginning of 
chapter 3; and it appears, from what I have hitherto: 
faid, that fome are falfe ; fuch as, the formation of 
the animals under the obferver’s eye ; the lofs of 
their tails, and diminution of fize. Two yet remain 
to be fpoken of; their divifion into parts, and 
their frequent change of fhape. Thefe pheno- 
mena are real, though never obferved in feminal 
vermiculi, and only in the animalcula of infu- 
fions. M. de Buffon efteems them incompatible 
with the character of animality. . 
_ With regard to the objeCtion concerning divi- 
fion, it is needlefs to ftop here for a difcuffion ; 
and I pafs to the fecond relative to the meta- 
morphofes of putredinous animalcula. It is true 
that the body of the animals familiar to us is fo 
conftructed that the fhape never varies, and can- 
not be materially altered without deftruGtion ; but 
it is no lefs true, that there are others experienc- 
ing the contrary ; as for example, among infedts, 
many fpecies of worms. To be convinced of 
this, it is only neceflary to glance at the opera- 
tions of Nature, or to open the works of natura- 
lifts. How many worms of this kind have been 
elegantly defcribed by Redi and Vallifneri! A 
fingle fpecies may ferve for many, and this is 
the cucurbit worm. Is it not certain by the ob- 
fervations of thefe two, efpecially of the Tufcan 
philofopher, that they aflume numerous and ya- 
rious 
