ANIMAL REPRODUCTIONS, 247 
4 name the earth worm, I fpeak of an animated 
being whofe organization is a thoufand times 
more complicated than that of the polypus, from 
finding the circulation of blood, and, confequent- 
ly, arterial and venous veffels in it: an alimenta- 
ry canal, fpinal marrow and nerves, and the 
union of two fexes, as it is an hermaphrodite. Of 
the fame complicated {tructure is my frefh water 
boat worm; neverthelefs its reproductive facul- 
ty is not inferior to that of the earth or frefh wa- 
‘ter worm (2). 
Yet how much-higher does the organic ftruc- 
ture of {nails and newts place them in the anima} 
fcale? Let us omit the former, as enough has al- 
ready been faid of them, and {top a moment to 
confider the latter. Though naturalifts.have pro- 
perly clafled the water newt among amphibia, it 
is a real quadruped, as it poffeffes in miniature 
moft of the parts which quadrupeds have large. 
A. great number of thefe have the tail provided 
with offeous vertebree infinuated into each other, 
and fucceflively fmaller as the tail diminithes. 
The tail of water newts is of the fame configura- 
tion, and confifts of the fame offeous vertebre : 
it alfo has the foft folid parts, fuch as the medul- 
la longa, which traverfes each vertebra, and perfo- 
rates the {malleft: it has nerves, mufcles, veins, ar- 
Q4 teries. 
(2) Prodromo. 
