ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE TRANSMUTATIONS. 129 



been recently started by continental naturalists, who 

 maintain tliat vegelablcs arc acliially converted into 

 animals, and these again intu vegetables. 



It mu;?t be obvious, we lliink, lioni the details we 

 have aheady given, that the doctrine of fransmuta- 

 liun, so iiir as regards insects, is equally absurd and 

 impossible with the pretended alchemical transmuta- 

 tion of lead and otiier inferior metals into gold and 

 silver; which doctrine was, indeed, supported upon 

 the su|)posed tact of insects being thus transmuted.* 

 But visionary as either of these may appear, they have 

 both been supported by men of talent and distinguish- 

 ed reputation. It does not, perliaps, at tirst sight 

 seem mure impossible, that water should be transmu- 

 ted into diamonds, or brass into gold, than that an 

 egg should disclose a chick or a caterpillar, or that a 

 caterpillar should cliange into a butterfly or a beetle; 

 but l)y adhering rigidly to (acts, and rejecting as rigid- 

 ly all fancies and analogies, how plausible soever they 

 may appear, we are certain that the latter changes are 

 of common occurrence, whereas the Ibrmer are con- 

 trary to all experience, and to the best experiments, 

 Wc say the best; because observations, if not experi- 

 ments, have been made ibr the express purpose of 

 proving such improbable transmutations. 



' 1 have shown to a great number of persons,' says 

 Professor Agardh, ' the changeable crow-silk (^Con- 

 ferva nnUabiUs^ TioTU] Dnipanialtlia m. Bory St 

 V.) in its state of a plant, the 3d of August, change 

 by the 5th into molecules endt)wed with locomobility, 

 reunite l)v the 6th into simple articulations, and recon- 

 stituted by the lOth into the primitive form of the 

 plant.'! Previous to this (in 1814) Professor jNees 

 von Esenbeck, of Bonn, published similar observa- 



* Sir Tlieodore Mayerne, Epist. Dedicat ad Theatrum In- 

 sect. Moufl'etii. 



t Agardh, Diss, de Metamorph. Algarum. 1820, 



