LECTURE I. 21 



sit once the aspect of a plant, and the motions of 

 mi animal, determined o try the experiment of 

 cutting it in two, in order to ascertain its doubtful 

 nature; and was beyoiul measure astonished to 

 Find that instead of destroying it, hot li parts seemed 

 uninjured by the wound, and that, in a very i< u 

 days, each had reproduced every deficient organ, 

 and that each animal seized its prey, and moved 

 about as before. 



This striking 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 prin- 

 ciples of common sense, as well as of sound philo- 

 sophy : but, at length, the attention of philosophers 

 in every part of Europe being excited by the sin- 

 gularity of the circumstance, the animals were 

 every where sought after, and experiments made 

 by cutting them in every possible direction. Their 

 real nature was thus completely ascertained ; and, 

 from subsequent experiments, it was found, that 

 in reality many other tribes of the inferior aniinaK 

 were likewise possessed of the power of repro- 

 duction, though in a less striking degree ; and thus 

 a wide field of philosophical investigation was sud- 



