OF NATURAL HISTORY. 31 



form four diftlndl animals. Thefe four, in an equal time, again 

 fplit ; and thus they proceed doubling their numbers daily, till they 

 acquire a figure fomewhat refembling a nofegay. The young after- 

 wards feparate from the parent (lock, attach themfelves to the roots 

 or leaves of aquatic plants, and each individual gives rife to a new 

 colony. 



The funnel-fhaped polypus multiplies by fplitting tranfverfely. 

 Of the individuals, accordingly, which proceed from this divifion^ 

 one has the old head and a new tail, and the other a new head and 

 the old tall. The fuperior divifion fwims off, and fixes itfelf to fome 

 other fubftance ; but the inferior divifion remains attached to the 

 former pedicle. 



The dart-millepes affords another example of multiplication by 

 fpontaneous feparation. This infeft divides, about two-thirds be- 

 low the head, into two diftind and perfed animals j and it feema 

 to poflefs no other mode of continuing the fpecies. 



The multiplication of the various animalcules which appear in 

 itifufions of animal and vegetable fubftances, long occupied the at- 

 tention, and eluded the refearches of philofophers. This difcovery 

 of the increafe of fome larger animals by fpontaneous divifion, gave 

 rife to the conjedture, that thefe microfcopic animalcules might mul- 

 tiply their numbers in a fimilar manner. This conjecture was com- 

 municated to M. de Sauflure in a letter from Bonnet, who received 

 an anfwer, dated at Genoa, September 28. 1769, to the following 

 purpofe. 



* What you propofe as a doubt,' fays M. de SaufTure, ' I have 



* verified by inconteftlble experiments, namely, that infufion-ani- 



*■ malcules multiply by continued divifions and fubdivifions. Thofe 



I ' roundifli- 



