INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS. Ivfi 



and it was probably the inability to difcover that 

 part, or to recognife the feeds, that allowed the 

 belief of fpontaneous generation. All this was 

 applied to the very minute plants of mould. The 

 feeds were invifible, or not recognifed : eminent 

 philofophers of modern date thought they had 

 none, and advanced cogent arguments for fponta- 

 neous produdion of the plants. It is, indeed, very 

 difficult to account for the exiftence of feeds in 

 certain fituations, unlefs by admitting that, like 

 the germs of animalcula, they are univerfally dif- 

 perfed, and, falling every where without any law, 

 expand in thole fituations only which are conge- 

 nial to their nature. One of the niceft points to^ 

 be invefligated in the natural hiftory of mould 

 confifts in examining the places where feeds are 

 found. 



When a minnow or a leech dies under water, 

 even feveral inches from the furface, and has fef- 

 dom or never come there but for the purpofe of 

 refpiration, it will foon be covered with a peculiar 

 kind of long ilender mould, while lying at the 

 bottom, as I have repeatedly feen. Various fpe- 

 cies, fome thicker, others more bufhy and (hort- 

 er, grow on different animal or vegetable fubftan- 

 ces alfo under water : it then feems more luxu- 

 riant, which is a general remark to be made of 



mould 



