308 



are really animal. So the several coralline sub- 

 stances, hitherto reputed marine plants, are now ge- 

 nerally believed to be the shells of polypi. Is it 

 not then highly probable, that the testaceous tribe in 

 general are ge nerated like flies, the latter from a mag- 

 got, the former from a polypus ? It must be so with 

 many, and as corals in general seem to be construct, 

 ed by polypi, are they not the primary stale of all, or 

 most of the testaceous tribe. If so it is almost be- 

 yond a conjecture, that the body called Belemnites, 

 (which on being put into acids is found to ferment in 

 like manner as corals) is formed likewise by a poly- 

 pus, from which the nucleus seems to be the last state. 

 And does not this concamerated body, of which the 

 bdemnites is only the habitation, lead us into the 

 connection and manner of generation, (perhaps par- 

 ticularly to the testaceous tribe) by remaining within 

 its nidus all its life, whereas the generality quit 

 their nidi as soon as-they are able to shift for them- 

 selves. 



The polypus is an animal of the vermicular kind, 

 the bodies of some are long and slender, like a line 

 fibre, extremely tender, and from the head proceed 

 a variety of claws or arms, with which it catches its 

 food, and prepares its habitation. They are of va- 

 rious shapes and textures, according to the species of 

 the animal that is to proceed from them, and very 

 wonderful it is, how so small an animal should form 

 so large a body as the Belemnites ? Some animals 

 in the terrestrial parts of the creation,' naturally as. 

 sociate together, others seek solitude. The same 

 dispositions we find in the aquatic, then why not 

 among the polypi : is this not evidently seen from 

 the variety of coral bodies ? It seeems in some as if 

 thousands acted in coucert together, in others each 

 acts for itself, of which latter is the belemnites. The 

 shape of the belemnites is generally conic, termi- 

 nating in a point, and of various colours, according 

 to the juices of the stratum in which it Jay, it has 

 usually a seam running down the whole length of it. 

 Its interior constitution seems composed of several 



