170 A HISTORY OF 



the rest. This society, however, is every hour dissolving; those 

 newly produced are seen at intervals to leave the body of the larg? 

 polypus, and become, shortly after, the head of a beginning colony 

 themselves. 



In this manner the polypus multiplies naturally ; but one may take a 

 much readier and shorter way to increase them, and this only by cut- 

 ting them in pieces. Though cut into thousands of parts, each part 

 still retains its vivacious quality, and each shortly becomes a distinct 

 and a complete polypus ; whether cut lengthways or crossways, it is 

 all the same; this extraordinary creature seems a gainer by our en- 

 deavours, and multiplies by apparent destruction. The experiment 

 has been tried, times without number, and still attended with the same 

 success. Here, therefore, naturalists who have been blamed for the 

 cruelty of their experiments upon living animals, may now boast of 

 their increasing animal life, instead of destroying it. The production 

 of the polypus is a kind of philosophical generation. The famous 

 Sir Thomas Brown hoped one day to be able to produce children by 

 the same method as trees are produced ; the polypus is multiplied in 

 this manner ; and every philosopher may thus, if lie please, boast of 

 a very numerous, though, I should suppose, a very useless progeny. 



This method of generation, from cuttings, may be considered as the 

 most simple kind, and is a strong instance of the little pain Nature 

 takes in the forrruvtion of her lower and humbler productions. As the 

 removal of these from inanimate into animal existence is but small, 

 there are but few preparations made for their journey. No organs of 

 generation seem provided, no womb to receive, no shell to protect 

 them in their state of transition. The little reptile is quickly fitted 

 for all the offices of its humble sphere, and, in a very short time, ar- 

 rives at the height of its contemptible perfection. 



The next generation is of those animals that we see produced from 

 ihe egg. In this manner all birds, most fishes, and many of the insect 

 tribes, are brought forth. An egg may be considered as a womb, de- 

 tached from the body of the parent animal, in which the embrvo is 

 but just beginning to be formed. It may be regarded as a kind of in- 

 complete delivery, in which the animal is disburdened of its young 

 before its perfect formation. Fishes and insects, indeed, most usually 

 commit the care of their eggs to hazard ; but birds, which are mere 

 perfectly formed, are found to hatch them into, maturity by the warmth 

 of their bodies. However, any other heat, of the same temperature, 

 would answer the end as well ; for either the warmth of the sun, or 

 of a stove, is equally efficacious in bringing the animal in the egg to 

 perfection. In this respect, therefore, we may consider generation 

 from the egg as inferior to that in which the animal is brought forth 

 alive. Nature has taken care of the viviparous animal in every stage 

 of its existence. That force which separates it from the parent, se- 

 parates it from life ; and the embryo is shielded with unceasing protec- 

 tion till it arrives at exclusion. But it is different with the little ani- 

 mal in the egg; often totally neglected by the parent, and always se- 

 parable from it, every accident may retard its growth, or even destroy 

 its existence. Besides, art.or accident, also, may bring this animal to 

 u state of perfection ; so that it can nevei be considered as a cow- 



