ANIMAL. 



action puts it into a state of defence, it is 

 ascribed to a principle of self-preserva- 

 tion. Those who adopt this reasoning 

 allege that vegetables do not manifest 

 this principle. When the sensitive plant, 

 for instance, contracts from a touch, it is 

 no more in a state of defence than be- 

 fore, for whatever would have destroyed 

 it in its expanded state, will also destroy 

 it in its contracted state. They add, that 

 the motion of the sensitive plant proceeds 

 only from a certain property called irrita- 

 bility ; and which, though possessed by 

 our bodies in an eminent degree, is a cha- 

 racteristic neither of animal nor vegetable 

 life, but belongs to us in common with 

 brute matter. The sensitive plant, after 

 it has contracted, will suffer itself to be 

 cut in pieces, without making the least 

 effort to escape. This is not the case 

 with the meanest animal. An hedge- 

 hog, when alarmed, draws its body toge- 

 ther, and expands its prickles, thus put- 

 ting itself in a posture of defence : when 

 thrown into the water, the same principle 

 of self-preservation prompts it to expand 

 its body and swim. A snail, when touch- 

 ed, withdraws itself into its shell; but if 

 a little quick-lime be sprinkled upon it, 

 so that its shell is no longer a place of 

 safety, it is thrown into agonies, and en- 

 deavours to avail itself of its loco-motive 

 power, in order to escape that danger. 

 Muscles and oysters, also, though they 

 have not the power of progressive motion, 

 constantly use the means which nature 

 has given them for self-preservation. 

 We, ourselves, possess both the animal 

 and vegetable life, and ought to know 

 whether there be any connection between 

 vegetation and sensation, or not. We are 

 conscious that we exist, that we hear, see, 

 &c. but of our vegetation we are abso- 

 lutely unconscious. We feel a pleasure in 

 gratifying the demands of hunger and 

 thirst; but we are totally ignorant of the 

 process by which our aliment is formed 

 into chyle, the chyle mixed with the 

 blood, the circulation of that fluid, and the 

 separation of all the humours from it. If 

 we, then, who are more perfect than other 

 vegetables, are utterly insensible of our 

 own vegetable life, why should we ima- 

 gine that the less perfect vegetables are 

 sensible of it ? We have within ourselves 

 a demonstration, that vegetable life acts 

 without knowing what it does ; and if ve- 

 getables are ignorant of their most saga- 

 cious actions, why should we suppose that 

 they have any sensation of their inferior 

 ones; such as contracting from a touch, 

 turning towards the sun, or advancing to 



a pole ? As to that power of irritability 

 which is observed in some plants, our so- 

 lids have it, when deprived both of animal 

 and vegetable life ; tor a muscle, cut out 

 of a living body, will continue to contract, 

 if it be irritated by pricking, after it has 

 neither sensation nor vegetation. Encyel. 

 Brit. On the other hand, those who are 

 of opinion that plants possess powers of 

 perception, allege that their hypothesis 

 recommends itself by its consonance to 

 those higher analogies of nature, which 

 lead us to conclude that the greatest pos- 

 sible sum of happiness exists in the uni- 

 verse. The bottom of the ocean is over- 

 spread with plants of the most luxuriant 

 magnitude ; and immense regions of the 

 earth are overspread with perennial fo- 

 rests. Nor are the Alps or the Andes 

 destitute of herbage, though buried in 

 depths of snow ; and can it be imagined 

 that such profusion of life subsists without 

 the least sensation or enjoyment ? Let 

 us rather, with humble reverence, sup- 

 pose that vegetables participate, in some 

 low degree, of the common allotment of 

 vitality ; and that one great Creator hath 

 appointed good to all living things, in 

 number, weight, and measure. 



ANIMAL flower, a name given to a va- 

 riety of creatures of the Vermes tribe, 

 that bear some resemblance to a flower. 

 These, for the most part, belong to the 

 order Molluscae ; the name is, however, 

 frequently given to a different order, viz. 

 the Zoophyte's. 



ANIMAL manures, in agriculture, are 

 all substances that are formed from the 

 decomposition of animal substances of 

 any kind; as the muscles, blood, hair, 

 wool, bones, fat, &c These are generally 

 esteemed as more powerful, in promoting 

 vegetation, than such as are derived from 

 vegetable matters. On account, however, 

 of their being but seldom procured in 

 large quantities, they are generally made 

 use of in the state of mixture or combi- 

 nation with other materials. By the ac- 

 tion of ammonia, which is constantly 

 formed during the decomposition of ani- 

 mal substances, the mould is made more 

 suitable for plants. 



AXIMAL, parts of, substances which 

 compose the bodies of animals may be 

 arranged under the following heads : 



1. Bones and Shells 



2. Horns and Nails 



3. Muscles 



4. Skin 



5. Membranes 



6. Tendons and ligaments 



