Part II. in the CK^ATion. 305 



This he beheld one of thefe Infeds doing with 

 his own Eyes in the Bud of an Oak ; the man- 

 ner whereof he defcribes, p. 47. which I {hall not 

 tranfcribe, only take notice, that when he had 

 taken off the Infedt he found in the Leaf very lit- 

 tle and diaphanous Eggs, exadly like to thofe 

 which yet. remained in the Tubes of the Fly's 

 Womb. He adds farther, that it is probable that 

 there may be Eggs hidden in divers Parts of 

 Plants, whereof no Footftep doth outwardly ap- 

 pear, but the Plant remains as entire and thrives 

 as well as if there were no Infed: there ; nay, that 

 fome may be hidden and cherifti'd in dry Places 

 (not wanting any Humour to feed them) as in 

 Sear- Wood, yea, in Earthen Veflels, and Marbles 

 themfelves. 



Indeed to me it feems unreafonable that Plants, 

 being of a lower Form or Order of Being, fhould 

 produce Animals ; for either they muft do it out 

 of indifpos'd Matter, and then fuch Producftion 

 would amount to a Creation, or elfe they mufl 

 prepare a fit Matter, which is to adl beyond their 

 Strength, there being requir'd to the Preparation 

 of the Sperm of Animals a great Apparatus of 

 Veffels, and many Secretions, Concodions, Re- 

 fledlions, Digeftions and Circulations of the Mat- 

 ter, before it can be redify'd and exalted into fo 

 noble a Liquor; and befides, there muft be an 

 Egg too ; for we know ex ovo omnia ;. to the Per- 

 fedlion whereof there are as many Veflels and as 

 long a Procefs requir'd. Now in Plants there are 



X no 



