V CADDIS-WORMS 239 



liavc been the delight of generations of naturalists, 

 and will be so again when the rage for names and 

 lists has abated. The History of Insects includes no 

 Beetles or Orthoptera. These would no doubt have 

 been added in time, but for the accident which in 1757 

 caused Reaumur's death. He left a multitude of 

 portfolios filled with notes and observations. 



In one great zoological controversy of that age 

 Reaumur took up a hesitating and upon the whole 

 an unfortunate position. The prevalent opinion 

 respecting corals was, that 'the polyps were flowers, 

 the soft cortex a plant, and the hard part mere 

 unorganised stone. The researches of Count 

 Marsigli (171 1) were believed to give strong support 

 to this interpretation. Peyssonnel in 1727 communi- 

 cated to Reaumur, and through him to the Academy 

 of Sciences in Paris, observations which were based 

 upon long study of the Mediterranean corals. He 

 pointed out that the so-called flowers could extend 

 and contract their parts, that they persisted through- 

 out the year, and that they had the composition of 

 animal bodies. Reaumur produced Peyssonnel's 

 communication, but kept back the author's name, 

 subsequently giving as his reason that Peyssonnel 

 would have run risk of contempt as the propounder 

 of views so adventurous. Reaumur proceeded to 

 give his own views as to the nature of corals, which 

 were completely orthodox, and completely mistaken. 

 Many years later the discovery of the Hydra and 

 Plumatella by Trembley reopened the question, and 

 Reaumur now perceived his mistake. He encouraged 

 fresh inquiries, candidly accepted their results, which 



