on Sea-anemonies. 
lb 
difficult to conceive how this fmall Hired preferves all 
thefe faculties, how this animated being acquires the 
power of loco-motion, and whence proceeds the whole 
reproduction of an animal. Where lhall we find the 
principles of the limbs, of the inteftines, of the mouth, 
of the fold in the body, of the elegant tufts which ter- 
minate the limbs, &c. fince nothing of all this can be 
obferved in fuch a fragment? Shall we feek for that 
principle in the fiender threads, the conft rudtion of which, 
feen with the folar microfcope, had ftruck me with admi- 
ration ? but my obfervations have not convinced me that 
they were intended for thefe purpofes. What would 
have determined my opinion in favour of thefe filaments 
is, the facility with which they wrap themfelves up in a 
fpiral, and form certain parcels (which have the ap- 
pearance 
anime ? mais outre qu’il fera toujours difficile de concevoir comment ce petit 
lambeau conferve ces facultes, et comment ce corps anime acquiert celle dc 
changer de lieu au befoin, on peut encore demander d’ou procedera le develope- 
ment qui fuit ? ou fe trouvera le principe des membres, des inteflins, de la 
bouche, du pli du corps ? d’ou naiffent ces beaux panaches qui terminent les 
membres, &c. puifque rien de tout cela ne fe remarque dans cette partie? 
Chercherons nous ce principe dans les cordons delies dont la ftrudlure, au mi- 
crofcope folaire, nous a paru ii admirable? mais je n’ai pu trouver dans i’obfer- 
vation de quoi me convaincre qu’ils foient de (lines a cet ufage. Ce qui eut ete 
bien plus capable de me fixer fur ces cordons, c’efl la facilite qu’ils ont de fe 
rouler en fpirale, et de former des efpeces de paquets qu’on appercoit comme un 
Vol. LXYIL L ' petit 
