340 Of Vegetation. 



I took a half-grown Chick, vvhofe leg-bone 

 was then two inches long ; and with a fharp- 

 pointed iron, at half an inch diftance, I pierced 

 two fmall holes thro' the middle of the fcaly 

 covering of the leg and fhin-bone ; two months 

 after I killed the Chick, and upon laying the 

 bone bare, I found on it obfcure remains of 

 the two marks I had made at the fame diftance 

 of half an inch : So that that part of the bone 

 had not at all diftended lengthwife, fince the 

 time that I marked it 3 notwithstanding the 

 bone was in that time grown an inch more 

 in length, which growth was moftly at the 

 upper end of the bone, where a wonderful 

 provifion is made for its growth at the join- 

 ing of its head to the fhank, called by Anato- 

 mifts Sympbyjis. 



And as the bones grow in length and fize, 

 fo mud the membranous, the mufcular, the 

 nervous, the cartilaginous and vafcular fibres 

 of the animal body necefTarily extend and ex- 

 pand, from the ductile nutriment which Na- 

 ture furnifhes every part withal ; in which 

 refpects animal bodies do as truly vegetate as 

 do the growing Vegetables : Whence it muft 

 needs be of the greateft confequence, that the 

 growing Animal be fupplied with proper nou- 

 rifhment for that purpoie, in order to form a 



flrong 



