I. animALcula cf infusions. 



245 



Gommon centre ; they would be diftinguifhed 

 from all the reft by a fpecific character, or one 

 which would afFed the eflence of animality. 



I have remarked, if man, and the animals 

 which we efteem the moft perfeft, propagated 

 after the mahner of polypi and pu9erons j in a 

 word, if we had never fcen animals in copula- 

 tion, could we have fufpedled that generation was 

 effefted by the concourfe of the fexes ? Could we 

 have imagined that, for the produaion of an in- 

 dividualj the concourfe of two individuals of the 

 fame fpecies was neceifary ? But from the propa- 

 gation of all the large animals by copulation, ic 

 had been precipitately concluded, that it was a 

 general law for the propagation of every fpecies* 

 Becaufe it had been obferved, that all known, 

 animals grew, after iifuing from the womb of the 

 mother, with the fame precipitation, it was con^ 

 eluded that it muft be fo with the whole animal 

 kingdom. Tht fpider-fly has proved it fah'e(i)„ 

 Thefe ftriking examples^ and others which I have 

 elfewhere cited, are well adapted to perfeft the 

 logic of the naturalift, and to make hitti referved 

 in his opinion on the ways of Nature. I am fo 

 much fatisfied with the principles of this logic, 

 that it would not furprife me if, in our feas, there 

 was one day difcovered a fpecies of whales or 

 Q^ 3 marine 



(1) Contemplation de la Nature, fr;:t 9. ch. -. ". 

 Corps Organifes, Art. 323. 324. 



