zo4 MEMOIR on tHe PLANTS catrep: 
fection of their parts, have induced fome naturalifts to be~- 
lieve, that thefe little animals were not fubje& to the gene= 
rallaw by which all the others are governed. Thence, 
they concluded that the principle of regeneration by means 
of the texual organs was not exclufively neceflary for the: 
multiplication and reproduction of every individual. 
This fyftem, however oppofed to what comes under our- 
daily obfervation, has, neverthelefs, found, and ftill con-. 
tinues to find, many warm {fupporters, and has been mucly 
ftrengthened. by the analogy which has been difcovered 
between the mofles and the mufhrooms, the fexual organs. 
of which were not determined till I made my obfervations: 
on the fubje@t, fo that thefe plants were thought to be to 
the vegetable, what worms { and polypi are to the animal,, 
world. 
I fhall not, in this place, undertake to refute this opi-- 
nion with regard to the polypi, which do not come with-. 
in the limits of thefe obfervations, but until more accurate 
experiments fhall have brought us to the certain difcovery 
of the manner by which thefe little animals are reproduced, . 
I fhall remain fatisfied with the obfervation of Bernard de 
Juffieu.on the polypus, and fhall reject every fyftem which 
tends to favour an opinion, that nature, who in all other. 
things, and in thofe which are moft within the reach of. 
our obfervation, ever acts: by conftant and by uniform. 
laws, could have become fo different from herfelf and have - 
adopted partial rules in favour of a very {mall number of. 
individuals. Here I thall confine myfelf to fome of thofe: 
plants denominated Cryptogamck, which I have. obferved. 
with great care and attention, and which (as I shall endea- 
vour. 
$ 1 might have difpenfed with mentioning the Polypi in particular, as they are compre- 
hended under the general appellation of worms; but 1 thought it beft to make {pecial menti- . 
on of them, ae of allanimals they are thofe of which the moft fabulous accounts have been . 
given, and which have afforded the greatelt {cope tothe wild ideas of fanciful imaginations... 
