LECTURE XII. 
201 
tion, but was ignorant of its power of reproduction 
after cutting : but Mr. Trembly^ surprised at the 
singular appearance of a creature which had at 
once the aspect of a plant, and the motions of an 
animal, determined to try the experiment of cut- 
tmg it, in order to ascertain its doubtful nature ; 
and was beyond measure dLstonished to find that 
instead of destroying it, both parts seemed unin- 
jured by the wound, and that in a very few days 
.each had reproduced every limb that had been lost,' 
and eat, and moved as before. This discovery be- 
ing announced, was at first considered by many 
as a fable ; and it was even contended that this 
division of animal life was in itself absolutely im- 
possible upon the principles of common sense as 
well as of sound philosophy : but at length, the 
attention of all Europe being excited by the singu- 
larity of the circumstance, the animals were every 
where sought after, and experiments made by cut- 
ting them in every possible direction, and their 
real nature thus completely ascertained 5 and from 
subsequent observations it was found that the ani- 
mals of most of the Coral tribe, both hard and soft, 
were strongly allied to Polypes, and were endow- 
ed with the same reproductive properties, while 
