[ 213 3 
is generally thought? It is ufual to afcribe to it the palpi- 
tation that is perceived in the flefli of oxen, when cut from 
the animal, in the fevered pieces and hearts of fome rep- 
tiles, as the doth, and other involuntary fpafmodic moti- 
ons ; but is it pollible, that determinate motions, that ac- 
tions which feem to imply will,fuch as clinging,8cc.which 
in our experiment were continued forthefpace of fifteen 
months, and, but for an accident, might probably have 
been carried on much longer, fliould arife from meer 
irritability without any other caufe ? The upper part 
of another fea-anemony, of which the inferior was be- 
come a perfect animal, lived fix months after its being 
cut, and feemed to feed by fudlion upon pieces of muf- 
cle I put in its way. Sea-anemonies, which I had cut 
diametrically and perpendicularly, were not eflTentially 
hurt by that operation ; which might be expe(5ted to difr 
order more than any the whole animal oeconomy, and 
to be particularly injurious to the bafis of this animal, 
which 
connue que nous ne le penfons ? On y rapporte comunement les niouvemens qu’on 
apper^oit dans la chair de boeuf feparee de i’aniinal, aux troncons, au coeur dc 
certains reptiles, a celuides parelTeux, &c. inais des mouvemens determines, des 
aftions, comme celle de s’attacher, et autres qui dans cette experience ont dure 
quinze mois, et qui auroient etc plus loin, peuvent-i!s n’avoir que I’irritabilite 
pour caufe ? La partie fuperieure d’une autre anemone, dont I’inferieure etoit 
devenue un animal entier, a vecu fix mois, et paroiflbit le nourrir en fucant des 
morceaux de moule que je lui prefentois, Des anemones de mer coupees diame- 
tralement et perpendiculairement ont foutenu fort bien cette operation, qui fem- 
ble devoir deranger plus que toute autre Toeconomie animale, et ofi'enfer confi- 
derablement la bafe, qui eft dans-<€s animaux une partie tre? eftenticlle, et dans 
quelques 
