574- ON SPONTANEOUS OR EQUIVOCAL GENERATION. 



it may be, it then requires renovation ; which is provided for 

 by the last laying of germs by the female, — many of which 

 are males, who, after they come to maturity, impregnate the 

 females and proceed as before. How can it be cited in sup- 

 port of equivocal generation? If an aphis was observed to 

 spring from the exudation of vegetables, then it would support 

 it, but not otherwise. 



I have purposely avoided using any theological arguments 

 in support of my view against the doctrine; not that I think 

 they should not be used, but because I wished to show how 

 untenable it is, from the consideration of fully observed facts in 

 the economy of organized beings, and from analogical reasoning ; 

 but I should wish very much that every asserter of the doctrine 

 would consider them fully, and observe how inconsistent with 

 the true notions of a creative Being it is, that any assemblage 

 of matter alone should produce animal or even vegetable life. 

 I remain, Sir, yours most respectfully, 



J. B N. 



Note to the word Kerfe. 



P.S. — It appears by Burmeister, in his Introduction, p. 48, 

 that some German authors have adopted the word kerfe, 

 derived from kerben, signifying to notch or indent, as a name 

 for insects in the German language. Mr. Shuckard, in his note 

 to the above, states that he has retained the paragraph. 

 Although it has more a German than English interest, perhaps 

 he was not aware that the word is also used technically in the 

 English language, by all workers in wood, (whether sawyers, 

 joiners, cabinet-makers, &c.) to designate the incision made by 

 a saw in a piece of wood : in fact there is no other word to 

 express the same meaning. A cut may be made by any cut- 

 ting instrument, — as knives, chisels, axes, &c. — no part of the 

 substance cut being taken away, but only severed with them ; 

 but a kerf signifies an open incisure, the sides of which are 

 parallel to each other, and a part of the substance taken out, 

 which can only be done with a saw ; it is, in general, used in 

 apposition with saw, — as sa.w-kerf; I have seen it printed kirf 

 kerf, and even caff, — the pronunciation being always kerf. The 

 application of the word to insects, is, I believe, as happy an 

 expression in our language, as Insecta to the Latins, or Evro/xa 



