35 



Thus have we even in the human 

 body evidences of irritability acting in 

 various modes, whilst we can equally per- 

 ceive that in tardigrade animals some 



of their muscles act with celerits^. In the 



i 



Lori, of whose habits Vosmaer has given 

 so interesting an account, and which mani- 

 fested no signs of alacrity, save in eating 

 the food that it liked, no stimulation 

 nor injury could induce it to mend its 

 pace, but it shewed its resentment of the 

 attempt to make it perform impossi- 

 bilities, by suddenly snapping at the stick 

 or instrument with which it was goaded; 

 and thus again demonstrated that the 

 muscles of its jaw were endowed with 

 an irritability of the more common cha- 

 racter. 



Having thus briefly described the prin- 

 cipal phenomena of muscular action, for 

 I forbear to notice others of less impor- 



D 2 



