LECTURE XII. 201 



tion, but was ignorant of its power of reproduction 

 after cutting : but Mr. Trembly, surprised at the 

 singular 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 cut- 

 ting it, in order to ascertain its doubtful nature ; 

 and was beyond measure astonished to find that 

 instead of destroying it, both parts seemed unin- 

 jured 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 be- 

 ing 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 im- 

 possible upon the principles of common sense as 

 well as of sound philosophy : but at length, the 

 attention of all Europe being excited by the singu- 

 larity of the circumstance, the animals were every 

 where sought after, and experiments made by cut- 

 ting them in every possible direction, and their 

 real nature thus completely ascertained ; and from 

 subsequent observations it was found that the ani- 

 mals of most of the Coral tribe, both hard and soft, 

 were strongly allied to Polypes, and were endow- 

 ed with the same reproductive properties, while 



