SECT. XXXIX. n. 5. GENERATION. 437 



cia ; the buds of which may properly be called male or female 

 vegetables, and differ in iome degree in their form and colour, 

 like male and female animals ; and in this they refemble the 

 larger animals, as their fexual glands, acquire or produce their 

 prolific fluids from different maiies of blood ; which is probably 

 lefs cumberfome to the individual, than where both the fexual 

 glands exift in one organized fyftem. 



In all thefe vegetable and animal modes of reproduction, I 

 fuppofe the new embryon to begin in many points, and in com- 

 plicated animals in many more points probably than in the more 

 fimple ones ; and finally, that as thefe new organized parts, or 

 rudiments of the embryon, acquire new appetencies, and pro- 

 duce or find molecules with new propenfities, many fecondary 

 parts are afterwards fabricated. 



Thus it would appear, that all nature exifts in a ftate of per- 

 petual improvement by laws imprefled on the atoms of matter 

 by the great CAUSE OF CAUSES ; and that the world may flill be 

 in its infancy, and continue to improve FOR EVER AND EVER. 



5. Concerning the fpontaneous production of microfcopic 

 animalcules, I beg leave to repeat, firft, that I fuppofe the 

 fmalleft ones to be formed by the coalefcence or embrace of the 

 animal fibrils, which poflefs appetencies, with the animal mole- 

 cules, which poflefs correfpondent propenfities ; and that the 

 animal fibrils and molecules are found in all vegetable and ani- 

 mal matter, as its organization becomes decompofed ; if there 

 exifts along with it fufficient moifture and proper warmth. 



Secondly, that this kind of fpontaneous reproduction refem- 

 bles alual generation in its confuting of the coalefcence of an- 

 imal fibrils with appetencies and animal molecules with corref- 

 pondent propenfities, that in the former they meet each other 

 in the folution of animal matter, as it decornpofes by dagna- 

 tion ; whereas in the latter thefe formative fibrils and molecules 

 are fecreted by different glands from the blood of the parent. 



Thirdly, that the firft animalcules produce other ones by ac- 

 tual generation, but without fexes, like the buds of trees, and 

 that as many generations may occur in a day, perhaps in an 

 hour, I conceive, that they may gradually acquire new organi- 

 zations, and improve by addition of new parts, as of fins, mouth, 

 inteftines, and finally, perhaps, fexual organs of reproduction, 

 Thus the feed of a tulip produces a fmall root the fize of a pea 

 the firft fummer, with a fummit like a blade of grais ; this dies 

 in autumn, having previoufly produced a fuccefTor larger than 

 itfelf, and with a ftronger leaf or fummit ; in the autumn this 

 likewife perifhes, and a third generation is produced, which is 

 Itill larger and more perfect * till the fifth generation from the 



feed 



