AND THE LOWER ANIMALS. 139 



full of it. The first polyps sent from Holland were 

 solemnly presented to the Academy by Reaumur him- 

 self, who at the same time pointed out other animals 

 capable of exhibiting similar phenomena. The subject 

 was then taken up on every side. On the coasts of 

 Bretagne and Anjou, there was almost a species of 

 rivalry exhibited by Bernard de Jussieu and Guettard 

 in the manner in which they cut up the Actiniae and 

 Asteriadee. The reproduction of lost parts was shown 

 to take place in both these groups. They not only 

 determined the animal character of a great number of 

 polyps, but they went even farther in grouping among 

 the latter several calcareous plants which have been 

 very gradually restored to their proper places. Then, 

 again, Reaumur and his colleagues investigated the 

 fresh waters ; and the Bryozoa of our ponds, the Pla- 

 narias and Nai'des of our streams, and even the earth- 

 worms, exhibited in various degrees an insensibility to 

 mutilation, the prominent result of which was their 

 individual multiplication. A grand physiological truth 

 was deduced from all these experiments ; viz., that 

 certain animals may, like plants, be reproduced both 

 by slips (fissuration) and by buds (gemmation). 



It was evident that in these instances there could 

 be no question of ovo-viviparism ; hence it became 

 necessary to go in search of some new explanation, 

 and the metaphysicians, whether naturalists or not, 

 took part in the inquiry. At this period the doctrine 

 of "pre-existing germs " reigned supreme. How then 

 were the newly discovered facts to be reconciled with 

 this theory ? Bonnet, in his endeavour to solve the 

 problem, devoted a considerable deal of thought to 

 the subject, and concluded by developing an en- 



