t 
19 8 Of the frefh Water Polyp?, 
Of cutting polypes afurider, and their repro*? 
dudtion. 
T H E moft extraordinary part in the hiftory of this 
creature is this, that when cut into pieces each 
piece can repair itfelf and become a perfect animal p. 
To perform which put a little water on a fmall piece 
.of paper, -whereon place a polype, and wait a little while 
till it extends itfelf; then with a pair of fnarp fciftkrs cut 
it into two pieces, paper and all, and examine each piece 
with a magnifying glafs, to judge the fucccfs of the ope¬ 
ration, putting each portion into a {hallow glafs which 
does not contain above three or four tenths of an inch in 
depth of water, by which means they may be always 
obferved with a magnifying glafs, or in the microfcope. 
A, fig. 397. reprefents the head part of a cut polype, 
its pofterior end b, being a little larger fhan that in a 
common polype, and is fenfibly open. In the fummer- 
tirae this firft part often walks, and eats the fame day 
it is cut. 
The fecond part, fig. 398. hath its anterior end c 
more than ordinary open, and the edges turned a little 
outwards, which afterwards folding inwards, clofes the 
aperture : the anterior end appearing then to be fimply 
fwelied, as at c, fig. 399. This part is never feen to 
change its place before its re-produdion is finiflhed; the 
arms foot out from its anterior end as thofe do in young 
polypes, at firft three or four points begins to {hoot, as 
at c, fig. 400. and while thefe increafe, others appear 
between them; before the arms have done growing they 
can feize a prey, and from that time its mouth is per¬ 
fectly formed. . 
p Hift.de Polyp?, p. 193= 
