[ 6i ] 



occafionally appear and ravage in the day 

 time. 



There is a very great difficulty to trace pre* 

 cifely the links of nature's chain in its grada- 

 tion from animal to vegetable beings. When 

 we come below what men generally efteem ani- 

 mals, and enter upon the polypes and coralline 

 Ipecies, we are greatly at a lofs, as there are 

 various opinions concerning' them amongft the 

 curious of thefe times, fome making them real 

 animals, and others real vegetables. For my 

 own part, I think many of them may be deem- 

 ed of a middle nature, partaking of both ; for, 

 though they feem to adhere by roots, and in- 

 creafe as vegetables do, by fhooting forth young 

 polypes from their fides, and by becoming per- 

 fe6t polypes from the divided parts of others, 

 which are marks of vegetation, they have, at 

 the fame time, a power to move their parts, 

 and put forth tentacula or arms, with which 

 they catch fmall infeds whereon they feed, 

 thereby fhewing they partake of an animal na- 

 ture. See Mr. Baker on Polypes, and Mr. 

 Ellis on Corallines. Various are tlie means in 



nature 



