37. 



Even the mite casts its skin, at" several short periods 

 and nearly in the same manner, 



A particular species of Water- Lizards, Abbe SpaF- 

 lanzani terms an aquatic salamander. Yet he ob- 

 serves, this cannot bear any great degree either of 

 heat or cold. But the most remarkable circumstance 

 relating to it is, that let its tail, legs, or even jaws be 

 cut away, and irr a short time they are reproduced. 

 The tail, besides a complete apparatus of nerves,. 

 musc!es,glands, arteries,and veins, has vertebre of real 

 bone. And their legs do not differ from those of the 

 most perfect animals, in the number of bones whereof 

 they are composed. 



7. Now when the legs and tails of this animal are 

 taken away, new vertebra, new bones are produced, 

 a phenomenon as wonderful as any hitherto known. 

 This takes place in every known species of Sala- 

 manders, at any period of their life, on the earth or 

 in the water, and let the length of the divided parte 

 be greater or less. Nor do the constituent parts of 

 the nw tail differ from those of the part that was 

 cut, either in number, vStructure, or connexion. But 

 a whole year is scarce sufficient to render the hew 

 part e'qual to that which was cut off. Indeed the 

 regenerating power ceases during the winter half year. 



When the part reproduced is cut of, it is succeeded 

 by another, which proceeds in the same manner as 

 the former, and this a second, a third, or fourth time, 

 the salamander still forming new parts by the same 

 unalterable laws. 



There are in the legs of a salamander ninety and 

 nine bones. In the four regenerated legs fhere is the 

 sairu3 number. The form and internal structure of 

 the reproduced bones, and of the natural, are the same. 

 But the colour of the new bones is somewhat differ, 

 ent, and their substance more 'tender. And ail these 

 parts are reproduced in the same manner and at the 

 gams tirne^whether the creature is fed or kept fasting, 



