Of INSECTS IN GENERAL. 
32 a 
deemed contemptible, that was not found in, the writings 
of the ancients. 
The attempts of thefe early writers gave birth to the 
refearches of others, who were gradually more bold and 
fuccefsful, in proportion as their reverence for antiquity 
was diminiihed. In 1668, about twelve years alter 
Mouffet publifhed his I'beatrum InfeBorum , the experi- 
ments and obl'ervations of the celebrated Rhedi made their 
appearance in Italy. His inveftigations were principally 
directed to the manner of the generation of infedts, with 
a view to overthrow that abfurd and erroneous doctrine 
eftablifhed by the ancients, of their arifing fortuitoufiy 
from different bodies in a date of putrefadKon. Noihing 
can more fully demonflrate the flrength of prejudice than 
thofe elaborate treatifes which Malphigi , Swammerdam, 
and Rhedi were obliged to compofe, in order to combat 
the notion of the fpontaneous generation of thefe animals ; 
an opinion which at prefent feems as ridiculous and unphi- 
lofophical as it is untrue. No twith! landing all their efforts to 
prove, that the fmaller animals are prod uced in the fame man- 
ner with thelarger, and that the organization of the bodyof 
a mite requires the fame apparatus of limbs, and the fame 
delicate ftrudture as that of an elephant, attempts were 
Hill made to revive the ancient error by Kirker , Bonarie , 
and others *. And what is moil mortifying to human 
rtafon, the fame Rhedi , the declared enemy of prejudices* 
and the man of all others who knows belt how to com- 
bat them, has, upoii this very fubjedt, fallen into a fimi- 
lar error. In order to produce thofe infedts which are 
found 
* Vide Motivi di dubitar intorao la generatione de viventi, fecondo lar 
opinicne de moderni. 
