EARLY DISCOVERIES BY THE MICROSCOPE. 21 



3. About 1750, M. Trembley of Geneva gave 

 to the world his researches on the Fresh-water 

 Polype, or Hydra. The results were alike un- 

 expected and astounding. It seemed as if a 

 new continent, with a new and hitherto utterly 

 unknown race of inhabitants, was starting into 

 existence. The facts were so extraordinary, as 

 to appear to contradict the experience of all 

 former ages, and to overturn some of the most 

 established notions of animal life. Even the 

 scientific world was amazed, and its members 

 passed through all the various processes of 

 dogmatizing, disbelieving, denying, ridiculing, 

 wondering, hesitating, doubting, believing, until 

 at length the conclusions of M. Trembley were 

 fully confirmed and universally admitted. " We 

 are now so familiar," says a distinguished na- 

 turalist, " with the outlines of the history of 

 the fresh-water polype, and its marvellous re- 

 productive powers, that we can scarcely appre- 

 ciate the vividness of the sensation felt when it 

 was all novel and strange ; when the leading 

 men of our learned societies were daily experi- 

 menting on these poor worms, and transmitting 

 them to one another from distant countries by 



