3q8 .Microscopical Essays. 



in every vegetable ?" Thus does the author endeavour to per- 

 fuade the prejudiced, and lead them to pay attention to the facts 

 which were now laid open to their view, and which were further 

 confirmed by a letter from Mr. Trembley, in January, 1740 ; 

 which letter was ftrengthened by ah extract from the preface to 

 the fixth volume of Mr. de Reaumur's hiftory of in feels. In 

 March, 1742, Mr. Folkes gave an account of them to the Royal 

 Society, from cbfervations made on feveral polypes which had 

 been fent by Mr. Trembley from Holland to him. The infecls 

 now began to be known, and were foon found in England, and 

 the experiments that had been made on them abroad were pub- 

 lifhed by M. Folkes,* my father, t and Mr. Baker : J conviction 

 now became too flrong for argument, and metaphyfical objections 

 gave way to facts. 



This animal is defcribed in the following manner : § 



Hydra. 



Animal bafi fe affigens, vagum, gelatinofum, lineare nudum^ 

 contractile. Os terminale, cirrhis fetaceis cinclum. Prolibus 

 lateralibus (autumno ovis) deciduis. 



This animal fixes itfelf by it's bafe, it is gelatinous, linear 

 naked, can contract itfelf, and change it's place. It's mouth, 



which 



* Philofophical Tranfa&ions. 



+ Micrographia Illuftrata. 



t Natural Hiftory of the Polype. 



$~Ellifs's Nat. Hift. of Zoophytes, Lin. Syft. Nat. p. 1320, 



