i8 THE PHILOSOPHY 



body. There is another fingularity in the hlftory of the polypus. 

 When cut to pieces in every direction fancy can fugged, it not on- 

 ly continues to exift, but each fedion foon becomes an animal of 

 the fame kind. What is ftill more furprifing, when inverted as a 

 man inverts the finger of a glove, the polypus feems to have fuffer- 

 ed no material injury ; for it foon begins to take food, and to per- 

 form every other natural fundtion. Here jve have a wonderful 

 inftance of animal dudility. No divifion, however minute, can 

 deprive thefe worms of life. What infallibly deftroys other ani- 

 mals, ferves only, in the polypus, to multiply the number of indi- 

 viduals. M. Trembley, in the courfe of his experiments, difcover- 

 ed, that different portions of one polypus could be ingrafted on an- 

 other. Two tranfverfe fedtions brought into contad quickly unite, 

 and form one animal, though each fedion belongs to a different 

 fpecies. The head of one fpecies may be ingrafted on the body of 

 another. When a polypus is introduced by the tail into another's 

 body, the two heads unite, and form one individual. Purfuing 

 thefe ftrange operations, M. Trembley gave fcope to his fancy, and, 

 by repeatedly fplitting the head and part of the body, formed hy- 

 ' dras more complicated than ever flruck the imagination of the moft 

 romantic fabulifts. 



This fliort account of the general ftruflure of animals was a ne- 

 ceflary preparation for perceiving more clearly their connexion 

 with the vegetable kingdom. 



The ftrudure of plants, like that of animals, confifts of a feries of 

 veflels difpofed in a regular order. Thefe veffels are deftined to per- 

 form the different fundions neceflary to the nourifhment, growth, 

 and diflemination of the plant. In trees, and moft of the larger 

 vegetables, three diftind parts are to be obferved ; the bark, the 

 wood, and the pith. The bark likewife confifts of three parts ; the 



fkin, 



