PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 189 



before. He proceeded to cut another into numerous morsels, and 

 Btill each of these morsels became a separate living thing. In his book 

 he gives an engraving of himself and his two pupils in the chamber 

 wherein he carried on these remarkable experiments ; and he alludes 

 to those pupils as sharing in his hunts after the polyps, and to the 

 charms which the contemplation of nature has even for the very young. 

 It is certainly doubtful whether any two lads ever had the chance of 

 seeing such marvellous work in the whole wide world before. But 

 more astonishing things were yet to come. He next cut a polyp lon- 

 gitudinally, commencing by the head towards the end of the tail, so 

 that it formed two bodies, two heads, and a tail. The separated por- 

 tions being kept apart, then developed so that each part consisted of a 

 head and body. After feeding this polyp with the two heads by its 

 two mouths, he cut each of these parts longitudinally as before, and in 

 a short time there were four heads. At last by a similar process he 

 produced seven heads. One would have thought that Trembley by 

 this time would have been glutted with marvels. When Hercules 

 struck off the heads of the Lernean Hydra that dwelt in a swamp, two 

 heads grew forth each time in place of the one decapitated, but when 

 by a bold stroke Trembley cut off the seven heads of the polyp I have 

 just described, not only did seven new heads appear after some days, 

 but the very seven heads that were cut oft' took food and became perfect 

 animals ! And, beyond all this, Trembley, by the most exquisite deli- 

 cacy of manipulation, turned these beings inside out, as one would turn 

 a glove, and yet these miraculous creatiu'es ate and lived and thrived 

 as if to the manner born. Surely mortal man never engaged in a more 

 striking biological experiment than this. Well might all Europe 

 ring with the exploit, and ambassadors hasten to remit specimens of 

 the wondi'ous hydra from nation to nation. And this all resulted from 

 a modest teacher of youth, having clear eyes, and with good set pur- 

 pose honestly using them. On thoroughly looking through this ori- 

 ginal edition of Trembley, you will perceive that the last eight plates 

 were engraved by his friend M. Lyonnet, and there is a pleasant history 

 attached to these. The author in alluding to them says that no doubt 

 the reader will be surprised that the said M. Lyonnet had not achieved 

 all the illustrations, but the truth was that at the time M. Trembley 

 was producing the first part of his work M. Lyonnet had never touched 

 a tool or seen an engraver at work. And our author goes on to de- 

 scribe in what manner, and how in an incredibly short space of time, 

 his friend acquired a most singular graving skill. So that in so far as 

 Trembley was an amateur zoophytist, Lyonnet was an amatem* artist 

 on copper or steel. Well might Trembley say, as he looked on these 

 exquisitely drawn figures, that they were in one sense as great a wonder 

 as were the prodigies they represent. Take it altogether, this book, 

 both in composition and illustration, is most charming in its simplicity, 

 accuracy, and felicity. It is often cited, but I do not know that it has 

 ever been translated as a whole, or even in parts, to any considerable 

 extent. Such a book is to my mind enough to fill with zeal anyone 

 who has a spark of the love of natiu'al history in his bosom. If time 

 permitted I should wish to encourage further both skilled workers and 



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