CHAPTER OF VARIETIES. 



551 



" 2. As to the genesis of celestial bodies, the theory of aggregation is 

 of greater moment than Vulcanism and Neptunism. 



" ,3. A central fire in the orb of the earth must be admitted. 



" 4. Whatever are the mechanical powers in organic nature, the 

 same are the organic powers in the animal and vegetable kingdom : 

 whatever are the organic powers in organic nature, the same are the 

 psychical (spiritual?) powers in the human race; throughout nature 

 there is a perpetual analogy, the same powers being only different, not 

 by quality, but by evolution. 



" 5. Explain to me the growth (indoles) of the lowliest grass, and 

 I will explain to you the phantasy and agitation of the human mind. 



cc 6. The psychical condition of animals is certainly and exclusively 

 derived from their organisation. 



" 7. Oxygen and photogen are the universal vivifactive powers. 



C( 8. The exact limits between the beginnings of each organic king- 

 dom are not to be found. 



" 9. It is destined in the generation of the most simple plants and 

 animals, from elementary causes, whether any particle of organisable 

 matter may become a plant or an animal. 



" 10. The magnitude of animals depends in kind upon the propor- 

 tional abundance of the nervous mass, and the degree of the respiratory 

 process : thus it is, that insects and the mass of spiders (arachnida) are 

 so small. 



ie 11. The more perfect organisation of Infusoria, lately discovered 

 by the celebrated Ehrenberg, does not contradict their spontaneous 

 generation." 



We think our readers will agree with us, that this is a tissue of wild 

 and useless fancy, of similar character to the speculative systems of the 

 ancients. No wonder that all the Germans agree in one opinion, that 

 no philosophy is taught in the British universities, and that a village 

 schoolmaster in Germany knows more of philosophy than our most 

 learned men in England. With such nonsensical philosophy as the 

 above, indeed, we have no wish to see our literature contaminated. 



Editor. 



Spiders for cabinets. — The preservation of spiders {Aranea, 

 Lin.) appears to me the most difficult part in obtaining perfect British 

 specimens in Entomology. Donovan recommends holding to the fire 

 until they plump up, or else to plump them up with the blow-pipe, 

 and fill them with sand ; but the above ways seem very imperfect, and 



