404p history of 



What, therefore, is the distinction between them ? — or are 

 the orders so intimately blended as that it is impossible to mark 

 the boundaries of each ? To me it would seem, that all animals 

 are possessed of one power, of which vegetables are totally de- 

 ficient ; I mean, either the actual ability, or an awkward attempt 

 at self-preservation. However vegetables may seem possessed 

 of this important quality, yet it is with them but a mechanical 

 impulse, resembling the raising one end of the lever when you 

 depress the other ; the sensitive plant contracts and hangs its 

 leaves, indeed, when touched, but this motion no way contributes 

 to its safety : the fly-trap flower acts entirely in the same man- 

 ner ; and though it seems to seize the little animal that comes 

 to annoy it, yet, in reality, only closes mechanically upon it, and 

 this inclosure neither contributes to its preservation nor its de- 

 fence. But it is very different with insects, even of the lowest 

 order ; the earth-worm not only contracts, but hides itself in the 

 earth, and escapes with some share of swiftness from its pur- 

 suers. The polypus hides its horns ; the star-fish contracts its 

 arms upon the appearance even of distant dangers ; they not 

 only hunt for their food, but provide for their safety ; and how- 

 ever imperfectly they may be formed, yet still they are in reality 

 placed many degrees above the highest vegetable of the earth, 

 and are possessed of many animal functions, as well as those that 

 are more elaborately formed. 



But though these be superior to plants, they are far 

 beneath their animated fellows of existence. In the class of 

 zoophytes, we may place all those animals which may be pro- 

 pagated by cuttings ; or in other words, which, if divided into 

 two or more parts, each part in time becomes a separate and per- 

 fect animal ; the head shoots forth a tail, and, on the contrary, 

 the tail produces a head ; some of these will bear dividing but into 

 two parts, such as the earth-worm ; some may be divided into 

 more than two, and of this kind are many of the star-fish ; 

 others still may be cut into a thousand parts, each becoming a 

 perfect animal ; they may be turned inside out, like the finger 

 of a glove ; they may be moulded into all manner of shapes, yet 



Tlie animals wliich inhabit tlie madrepores are medusae. The coral which 

 coatains them is fixed and simple, or branched, with cavities composed of 

 lamellae in a star-like form. 



