Sjr6 ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. L 



animated corpufcula : but we can eafily conceive 

 that the propagation of an animal, naturally di- 

 viding into two or four pieces, cannot be per- 

 formed by a preformation fimilar to that w^hich 

 gives exiftence to the buds of a tree, or the fhoots 

 of an arm polypus. Nothing is difcovered in the 

 natural divifion with the leaft refemblance to the 

 known animal or vegetable generations. How- 

 ever, it is mod evident that there maft be an 

 original preformation, which determines what 

 precedes, accompanies, and follows the natural 

 divifion of the animal. Changes or alterations, 

 more or lefs confiderable, fhould take place with- 

 in ; — a kind of contraction preparatory to the fo- 

 lution of the unity : this fhould occafion the di- 

 verfion of the nutritious juices towards certain 

 particles on fibrilli, by means of which thefe fi- 

 brilii expand, and aiiume new pofitions with 

 refpect to each other. Thus is the enormous 

 world confolidated : the exterior and interior of 

 the animal is renewed or recompofed ; and eacli 

 half, or each quarter, becomes a perfed animal. 



It would feem that this lingular regeneration 

 has fome flight refemblance to the firfl kind of 

 organic preformation, defcribed part lo of La 

 Falingenefie : but here our glimmerings are too 

 •faint to guide us through the profound obfcurity. 

 ■It is moll probable, that an animal deflined to 

 -multiply thus, has received a flruclure of little 



intricacy. 



