“236 «ANIMAL REPRODUCTIONS. 
-* more, and, in particular, Mr Adolphus Murray, 
‘a learned and candid man, and my particular | 
‘ friend. Although I do believe, that they con- 
* troverted your difcovery, from not having re- 
‘ peated the experiments with accuracy, flill it is » 
‘ more rational to fuppofe they have been made 
* on {nails which want the reprodudtive faculty, 
“as we have often obferved. Such are the per- 
‘ fons that alone merit an account of this fingular 
‘and admirable reproduction, fince it would be 
* vain to addrefs others, who neither can nor will 
* be perfuaded. 
‘ Before tranfcribing the refult of my obferva- 
‘ tlons, permit me to obferve, that I have ana- 
‘ tomifed {nails as much as poffible, and efpeci- 
‘ ally the head, which is much more compound 
* than any one could fuppofe. But it 1s extremely 
‘ difficult to accomplifh this, while alive, as, who- 
‘ ever takes the trouble of examination, will eafily 
‘find. It is equally difficult to make obferva- 
‘ tions on them in their own proper habitations, 
‘ for they are there fo much fhrunk and contraé- © 
‘ ed within themfelves : and, if the obferver en- 
“ deavours to examine them, when ftretched out of 
« the thell, they contract and retire fo quickly, that 
‘ the anterior part of the foot is inftantly turned 
* out, and the head concealed as if in the centre of. 
* the body. And the difficulty {till augments, if 
‘ we add that tenacious vifcous matter copioufly 
‘ diffufed, 
