INTRODUCTION. 



an Elephant, Oftrich, or Whale is 

 in the feveral Kingdoms of Beafts, 

 Birds, and Fifti ; and this in fo ex- 

 tenfive a Gradation, that the De- 

 fcent in the Scale of Beings is as 

 boundlefs to our imagination, as its 

 Afcent, on the one hand extending 

 towards Immenfity, on the other de- 

 creafing towards Nothing, ever ap- 

 proaching, for ever dirtant. 



Some general Reflections of this 

 nature fucceeding to thofe late wonder- 

 ful Difcoveries of the Properties of 

 the F rem -water Polype, for which 

 the World is obliged to the inge- 

 nious Mr. Trembley^ induced me to 

 examine, if no Species of Fifli could 

 be found in the Sea, which bearing 

 a near Refemblance to it, might be 

 almoft in Large, what this is in 

 Miniature, and ferve by Induction to 

 clear up thofe Phenomena at leaft 

 which efcape our Apprehenfion upon 

 account of the Minutenefs of the Ob-, 

 jedt. 



The furprifing Property it is en- 

 dued with of reproducing the Parts it 

 has loft, mud depend, without Dif- 



pute, 



