184 ANIMALS KILLED IV, 
mufcle, this part of refurgent animals has quali- 
ties very different from the irritable parts of other 
animals, though we are profoundly ignorant of 
what conftitutes the difference, becaufe we are 
profoundly ignorant of what the gluten confifts. 
_l with to be fincere. A conclufion againft the 
hypothefis may be deduced from my experi- 
ments. Irritability is recognifed by its appear- 
ance, that is, on touching the mufcular fibre 
with any ftimulant, it contracts and becomes ri- 
gid. I have often ftimulated the mufcular fub- 
ftance of the eels of blighted corn and tiles, with 
an extremely fine iron point, and attentively ob- 
ferved the confequence. ‘The mufcular fibre al. 
ways feemed to contract a little when touched, 
but I muft acknowledge the fame thing happen- 
ed to the anguille of vinegar, and to other ana- — 
logous animalcula, which do not enjoy the privi- 
lege of refurreCtion. There are even fome aqua- 
tic and terreftrial vermiculi more irritable than 
the eels, fince with the moft gentle touch they 
contraét and fwell, until they become many times 
as thick and fhort. The objection is therefore con- 
fined to this: there are fome animalcula which 
do not revive, though as irritable, even more fo 
than thofe that do. But it does not affect my 
hypothefis, for the principle of refurre¢tion is not 
placed in the greateft and moft perfect irritabili- 
ty, 
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