ANIMAL KINGDOM. 215 



industry; nor any to the Vertebrata for size, duration of 

 life, and variety of pursuit during that life. The result 

 therefore to which we shall always arrive in this compa- 

 rison is, that the Vertebrata are the perfection of one plan of 

 organization, as the Annulosa may be of another. There can 

 however be no doubt as to which ought to be accounted 

 the lowest and least complicated of animals. With these 

 then, or the Acrita, I shall begin, and endeavour to trace 

 my way round the circle developed in the last chapter. 



Homogeneous gelatinous masses of pulp without any 

 visible cavity, and propagated by buds or cuttings, — beings 

 in which every character of life may seem absolutely de- 

 stroyed by desiccation, but which, by the influence of 

 humidity, light, and other natural agents, can resume 

 their vital energy; beings sometimes fixed to a particular 

 point of space, and often absorbing nourishment by their 

 external pores, — would manifestly be classed among the 

 lower and less organized tribes of vegetables, did we not 

 observe that such a mass of pulp is not only in general 

 endowed with the power of locomotion, but also is always 

 extremely irritable. When, moreover, we observe that this 

 irritability is manifested not by any mechanical action, 

 or by any effect which we are likely to ascribe to a simple 

 mechanical cause, but by a contraction of the injured part 

 within itself, we are induced to suspect the presence of 

 some nervous influence, and consequently that this gela- 

 tinous mass is an animal. The Agastria, or Agastraires 

 of De Blainville, are indeed Animals, though they have 

 neither distinct organs of sense, alimentary canal, nor even 

 mouth ; though they have, in short, so far as our present 

 knowledge of them would lead us to believe, no internal 

 digestion whatever to execute, but trust for nourishment, 



