INFUSORIES. 151 



at particles of infused substances ; from their 

 incessantly revolving on themselves without a 

 change of place ; from their course against the 

 current ; and from their crowding to shallow 

 places of the fluid in which they are : each species 

 seems also to exhibit a peculiar kind of instinct. 

 Lamarck thinks all this delusion proceeding 

 from errors in judgment, and the result of preju- 

 dices inducing people readily to believe what 

 accords with their persuasions. But to apply this 

 remark to such observers as Spallanzani, &c., is 

 drawing rather largely on the credulity of his 

 readers, who might very j ustly change the tables 

 and apply it to himself, who is certainly as much 

 chained by system as any one can be. Admit- 

 ting that the observations of Spallanzani just 

 stated record facts, it appears clearly to follow 

 from them that these animals have volition, and 

 therefore cannot properly be denominated apa- 

 thetic, or insensible. The fact that they almost 

 all have a mouth and a digestive system ; many 

 of them eyes, and some rudiments of a nervous 

 one, implies a degree, more or less, of sensa- 

 tion in them all, and consequently that they 

 have all, whether it be molecular and diffused in 

 their substance, or confined to particular organs, 

 I say that they have all a nervous influence and 

 excitement sufficient for their several wants, cor- 

 responding with their several natures. 



