, : soo 



Tape-wwms partake, of the structure of polypuses, 

 but seem to be more compounded, They are formed 

 of a chain of flat, membraneous, and whitish rings, jointed 

 logetlu-r like the divisions of a reed. Each ring has on 

 iis upper part, or on one of its sides, a more or less sen- 

 S'ble eminence, in the centre of which is a small round 

 aperture. The middle of the ring is full of vessels of a 

 purple or whitish colour, which perform a labour that 

 attracts the attention of the observer. The rest of the 

 ring is filled with an infinite number of small white 

 seeds. Such is essentially the structure of the tape- 

 worm in its whole extent ; there is no perfect variety or 

 resemblance between all the rings, the assemblage of 

 i\h*ch composes a kind of ribband or lace, which ex- 

 tends sometimes several hundred feet in length. 



Earth-worms are, of all the insects I have mentioned, 

 those \\ hose inside seems to be the most compounded, 

 chiefly because-in them, the two sexes are united : but 

 the most essential organs of life are distributed in them 

 likewise through the whole length of the animal. 



Organised bodies, whose structure is so simple and 

 uniform* that each part of them has in a small compass 

 an organization resembling that of the whole in a greater 

 extent, enjoy divers prerogatives that have been denied 

 to organized bodies of ^a more complicated structure. 

 The first of these are not destroyed when divided 

 asunder. Their different portions continue to live, and 

 the wounds which have been given to them easily con- 

 solidate. These parts vegetate, receive nourishment, 

 produce new organs, and multiply. Such wonders as 

 these the vegetables and insects we have lately treated 

 of exhibit every day : wonders which we have not suf- 

 ficiently admired in the former, and which perhaps we 

 too much admire in the latter. 



Large animals do not furnish us with the same pheno- 

 mena. The consolidation of their wounds, and the re- 

 union of their fractures, although oftentimes attended 



