354 eoRAis. 



by Count Marsigli, which seemed to prove them of a vegetable 

 nature; for on gathering them perfectly fresh, and placing them in 

 sea water, they appeared to put forth small flowers from all the 

 minute cavities, or hollow points on the surface. These, therefore, 

 were considered as a convincing proof that coral was a plant. The 

 arguments against this theory were, the animal odour which they dif- 

 fused in burning, and a greater degree of sensibility in the supposed 

 flowers than seemed quite consistent with the generality of plants. 



A very few years after Count Marsigli's discovery and description 

 of the supposed flowers of coral, Dr. Peysonel, a French physician, 

 from observations made on some parts of the European coasts, a* 

 well as on those of the West Indies, ventured to propose to the 

 French Academy, a new theory relative to the nature of corals; in 

 which he maintained, that the supposed flowers were real animals, 

 allied to actiniae ; and that, in consequence, the corals should be con 

 sidered as aggregates of animals, either forming, or at least inhabit- 

 ing the calcareous substance of the coral in which they appeared. 



To this theory no great attention was paid ; and several years 

 elapsed before a farther advance was made in the knowledge of 

 these bodies: but at length, about the year 1730, a Mr. Trembly, 

 of Geneva, in searching after some small aquatic plants, happened 

 to discover the animals now called polypes : these had indeed been 

 discovered long before by Leewenhoeck, in Holland ; but he only 

 gave a general description of the animal, and observed that it mul- 

 tiplied by an apparent vegetation, but was ignorant of its power of 

 reproduction after cutting: but Mr.Trembly, surprised at the singu- 

 lar appearance of a creature which had at once the aspect of a plant, 

 and the motions of an animal, determined to try the experiment of 

 cutting it, in order to ascertain its doubtful nature ; and was beyond 

 measure astonished to find that instead of destroying it, both parts 

 seemed uninjured by the wound, and that in a very few days each 

 had reproduced every limb that had been lost, and eat, and moved 

 as before. This discovery being announced, was at first considered 

 by many as a fable ; and it was even contended, that this division of 

 animal life was in itself absolutely impossible, upon the principles of 

 common sense, as well as of sound philosophy : but at length, the 

 attention of all Europe being excited by the singularity of the cir- 

 cumstance, the animals were every where sought after, and experi- 

 ments made by cutting them in every possible direction, and their 



