254 ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. L 



Corps Organifes, and Palingenejt^, part ii« 12. 

 As thefe authors, valuable in other refpeds, have 

 not analyfed a fufficient number of fads, and 

 fads very various ; and as they have not been in- 

 duced to give themfelves up to the fame reflec- 

 tions as I have, it is not fui-prifmg that they 

 did not penetrate the theory of germs further. 

 Therefore, when you wifli to review the confe- 

 quence of my principles on this beautiful part of 

 the animal ceconomy, you have only to revife 

 part 10. of la Palingenefte. My latefl refledions 

 on the origin of organized beings are there. You, 

 -of all perfons, are the naturalifl from whom I ex- 

 ped moll inftrudion in this fertile field ; and 

 your learned refearches will confirm, regulate, 

 or deftroy, my trivial hypothefes. You will not 

 liften to the language of friendfhip, when Nature 

 decides againfl: me, and I fhall be the firfl to fub- 

 mit to her fentence. 



The infeds which like the bell, funnel, and 

 tubulated polypus, as the animalcula of infufi- 

 ons, propagating by natural divifion and fub-divi- 

 fion, undoubtedly follow very different laws from 

 thofe which govern the propagation of arm po- 

 lypi, earth worms, frelh water worms, and other 

 animals that are multiplied by being cut in 

 pieces (i). The folution of continuity, which 



art 



.. ^._ ^ 



( I ) It is moft lingular, tliat the fame animal can pro- 

 pagate its fpecies by natural divifion, as by an artificial 



divifion 



