Anatomy of Animals. 30^ 



He then examines the organifation of the medufa or fea- 

 nettle, and {hows that it approaches near to that of %-ege- 

 tables. " If I confined myfelf," fays he, " to announ-ging, 

 that there exifts an animal without a mouth, which is nou- 

 rifhed, like plants, by means of ramified fuckers, and in 

 which the ftomach fupplies the place of heart, one might 

 have feme right to refufe aflent to fo extraordinary an afler- 

 tion; but I exhibit the animal itfelf." He then explains the 

 nature of its organifation. This animal has no mouth, but 

 only fome ojlioles, or very fmall apertures, which all termi- 

 nate at a large cavity or bag, which may be confidered as 

 the ftomach. From this cavity proceed fixteen veffels, which 

 are diftributed to every part of the animal, and have a com- 

 munication with each other by means of a circular veflei 

 exaftly concentric to the contour of the animal. Thefe vef- 

 fels ferve to convey the nutritive juice. No heart is obferved 

 in this animal, nor any organ analogous to one. 



Cuvier has compared alfo the brain of various red-blooded 

 animals. The charailer of that of man and apes is, the ex- 

 iftence of the pofterior lobe and the digital cavity. Thecha- 

 rafter of the brain of carnivorous animals is, the fmallnefs of 

 the nates in regard to the tejles. In herbivorous animals the 

 tejles are much larger than the nates. That of the brain of 

 rongeurs (the ftagkind) is the fize ct^xht nates, and the abfence 

 or (hallownefs of the circumvolutions. That of the brain of 

 the folidipedae is the fize of the nates, joined to numerous 

 and deep circumvolutions. That of the brain of cetaceous 

 animals is its great breadth in proportion to its length, and 

 the total abfence of olfaftory nerves. Man and quadrupeds 

 alone have olfaxftory nerves properly fo called : in real qua- 

 drupeds they are fupplied by mammillary caruncles. 



Sue has defcribed the manner in which he prepares th? 

 (keletons of animals. He firft boils them in v,'ater, as was 

 praftifed by Daubenton ; after which he pours water over 

 them, or throws it upon them with force from a fyrinere. 

 By thefe means all the flefh detaches itfelf from the bones, 

 which remain perfe6lly clean. 



Dumeril has obferved, that the laft articulation of the 

 fingers in mammiferous animals always retains a peculiar 



Vol. VI. Rr charader 



