ANIMALS. 



125 



mankind, the most intricate inquiries are ge- 

 nerally the most useless. Instead, therefore, of 

 balancing accounts between the sexes, and at- 

 tempting to ascertain to which the business of 

 generation most properly belongs, it will be 

 more instructive, as well as amusing, to begin 

 with animal nature, from its earliest retire- 

 ments, and evanescent outlines, and pursue 

 the incipient creature through all its changes 

 in the womb, till it arrives into open day. 



The usual distinction of animals, with re- 

 spect to their manner of generation, has been 

 into the oviparous and viviparous kinds; or, 

 in other words, into those that bring forth an 

 egg, which is afterwards hatched into life, 

 and those that bring forth their young alive 

 and perfect. In one of these two ways all 

 animals were supposed to have been pro- 

 duced, and all other kinds of generation were 

 supposed imaginary or erroneous. But later 

 discoveries have taught us to be more cau- 

 tious in making general conclusions, and 

 have even induced many to doubt whether 

 animal life may not be produced merely 

 from putrefaction.' 



Indeed, the infinite number of creatures 

 that putrid substances seem to give birth to, 

 and the variety of little insects seen floating 

 in liquors, by the microscope, appear to fa- 

 vour this opinion. But, however this may be, 

 the former method of classing animals can 

 now by no means be admitted, as we find 

 many animals that are produced neither from 

 the womb, nor from the shell, but merely 

 from cuttings ; so that to multiply life in some 

 creatures, it is sufficient only to multiply the 

 dissection. This being the simplest method 

 of generation, and that in which life seems to 

 require the smallest preparation for its exist- 

 tence, I will begin with it, and so proceed to 

 the two other kinds, from the meanest to 

 the most elaborate. 



The earth-worm, the millepedes, the sea- 

 worm, and many marine insects, may be mul- 

 tiplied by being cut in pieces ; but the poly- 

 pus is noted for its amazing fertility; and 

 from hence it will be proper to take the de- 

 scription. The structure of the polypus may 

 be compared to the finger of a glove, open 

 at one end, and closed at the other. The 



Bonnet Consid. p. 100. 



closed end represents the tail of the polypus, 

 with which it serves to fix itself to any sub- 

 stance it happens to be upon ; the open end 

 may be compared to the mouth ; and, if we 

 conceive six or eight small strings issuing 

 from this end, we shall have a proper idea 

 of its arms, which it can erect, lengthen, and 

 contract, at pleasure, like the horns of a snail. 

 This creature is very voracious, and makes 

 use of its arms as a fisherman does of his net, 

 to catch and entangle such little animals as 

 happen to come within its reach. It lengthens 

 these arms several inches, keeps them sepa- 

 rated from each other, and thus occupies a 

 large space in the water, in which it resides. 

 These arms, when extended, are as fine as 

 threads of silk, and have a most exquisite de- 

 gree of feeling. If a small worm happens to 

 get within the sphere of their activity, it is 

 quickly entangled by one of these arms, and, 

 soon after, the other arms come to its aid ; 

 these all together shortening, the worm is 

 drawn into the animal's mouth, and quickly 

 devoured, colouring the body as it is swal- 

 lowed. Thus much is necessary to be ob- 

 served of this animal's method of living, to 

 show that it is not of the vegetable tribe, but 

 a real animal, performing the functions which 

 other animals are found to perform, and en- 

 dued with powers that many of them are des- 

 titute of. But what is most extraordinary re- 

 mains yet to be told ; for, if examined with a 

 microscope, there are seen several little 

 specks, like buds, that seem to pullulate from 

 different parts of its body ; and these soon 

 after appear to be young polypi, and, like 

 the large polypus, begin to cast their little 

 arms about for prey, in the same manner. 

 Whatever they happen to ensnare is devour- 

 ed, and gives a colour not only to their own 

 bodies, but to that of the parent ; so that the 

 same food is digested, and serves for the 

 nourishment of both. The food of the little 

 one passes into the large polypus, and co- 

 lours its body ; and this, in its turn, digests, 

 and swallows its food to pass into theirs. In 

 this manner every polypus has a new colony 

 sprouting from its body ; and these new ones, 

 even while attached to the parent animal, 

 become parents themselves, having a smaller 

 colony also budding from them ; all, at the 

 same time, busily employed in seeking for 

 C* 



