C 3 6 9 ] 
fpecies. In juflifying what I laid down at firft, they 
will convince us more and more what little progrefs 
has been made in the knowledge or hiftory of Re~ 
produftions ; how far the refources and powers of na- 
ture may extend; the uncertainty of our conje&ures 
both upon what really conftitutes the animal, and the 
exact moment that it pafies from life to death- 
What an extenfive field does the findy of animal 
eeconomy, that moft beautiful and uleful part of 
phyfic, offer flill to our invefligation ! At the fame 
time that it encreafes our knowledge in that branch, 
which is looked upon as the bails of the art of 
healing, it may help us to find out whether our 
fea-flowers are deftrudtive to crabs and other cruf- 
taceous fifh, to mufcles, &c. and whether they 
themfelves might not prove a palatable and ufeful 
food. Thefe refearches might alfo afford proofs 
that the ftruflure of thofe animals which are looked - 
upon as little deferving of our attention, are dill, 
fome 
que j’ai etabli an commencement, elles pourront faire entre- 
voir combien nous fommes peu avances dans l’hiftoire des re- 
productions ; quelles peuvent etre Jes reffources et les forces 
de la nature; 1’incertitude de nos conjectures fur ce qu! con- 
fiitue 1’animal, et fur le moment precis oti il paffe de fetat de 
vie a l’etat de rnort. Quel vafte champ nous cffre encore a- 
cultiver l’etude de l’csconomie animale ! cet objet le plus beau 
et le plus utile que la phyfique nous prefeme, eft propre en 
meme temps a augmenter la fomme de nos cormoiftahces 
dans cette partie qu’cn regarde avec raifon comme la bafe de- 
■ t’art de guerir ; a determiner ft ces animaux detrui-ferit les can- 
cres et autres cruft aces, les moules, ou s’ils ne pourroient 
pas devenir eux memes un mets recherche et del icat ; a nous con- 
vaincre que la ftiuCture des animaux qu’on juge peu dignes 
d’attention. 
