258 ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. I- 



I have indeed a faint conjedure on the fecret 

 caufe of this irritability, but it is not fufficiently 

 mature to lay before the public. 



XV. The examination of Mr Needham's hy- 

 pothefis on generation will require a fevere criti- 

 cifm from you ; but you will make it in polite, 

 moderate, and friendly terms. You are acquaint^ 

 ed with the charader of this learned naturalift, 

 and cherifti the fame efteem for him as I do my- 

 felf. 1 have written to him on his opinions with 

 the greatefl freedom ; and it Ihould be obferved 

 m his praife, that he was never offended with it. 

 It is true, he has not abandoned them : on the 

 contrary, he feeras to fupport them more and 

 more. — His laft work, which you are called upon 

 to refute, is too good evidence. Perhaps it is re- 

 fer ved for you to convert him, which will be no 

 fmall addition to your literary glory. Probably 

 vou will not forget to fay a word of the Reggio 

 ProfeiTor, to whofe obfervations Mr Needham re- 

 ferred me with fuch confidence, but who, not- 

 Avithftanding, was lefs an EpigenefifV than any 

 one in the world. Corps Organifes, Art. 331. Pa- 



Ungcnef.e, T, i. p'4-S^ 426(1). 



In 



( 1 ) I-ourteen years -ago, when I was prcfefiar of philo- 

 fophy in the UniveiT.ty and College of Reggio, and be- 

 ginning to mal^e experiments on infufion animalcula, I 

 began a coxrefponder.ee wiih Mr Needham, who was then 



making, 



