ANIMAL-FLOWER. 
tion of the fenfitive-plant proceeds only from a certain 
property called irritability., and which, though our bodies 
pofiefs it in an eminent degree, is a charadfteriftic neither 
of animal nor vegetable life, but belongs to us in common 
with brute-matter. It is certain, that an electrified filk- 
thread (hews a much greater variety of motions than any 
fenfitive-plant. If a bit of fiik-thread is dropped on an 
electrified metal-pltite, it immediately erects itfelf, fpreads 
out the fmall fibres like arms, and, if 'not detained, will 
fly otf. If a finger is brought near it, the thread feems 
greedily to catch at it. If a candle approaches, it clafps 
clofe to the plate, as if afraid of it. Why do we not con¬ 
clude that the thread, in this cafe, is really afraid of the 
candle? For this plain reafon, That its feeming flight is 
not to get away from the candle, but to get towards the 
electrified metal; and, if allowed to remain there, will 
fuffer itfelf to be burnt without offering to ffir. The fen¬ 
fitive-plant, in like manner, after it has contracted, will 
fuffer itfelf to be cut in pieces, without making the leaf! 
effort to efcape. The cafe is not fo with the meaneft ani¬ 
mal. An hedge-hog', when alarmed, draws its body to¬ 
gether, and expands its prickles, thereby putting itfelf in 
a pofture of defence. Throw it into water, and the lame 
principle of felf-prefervation prompts it to expand its bo¬ 
dy and fwim. A fnail, when touched, withdraws itfelf 
into its fhell; but, if a little quick-lime be fprinkled upon 
it, fo that its fhell is no longer a place of fafety, it is 
thrown into agonies, and endeavours to avail itfelf of its 
locomotive power in order to efcape the danger. In muf- 
cles and oyfters, indeed, we cannot obferve this principle 
of felf-prefervation fo ftrongly as in more perfeCt animals: 
but, as we obferve them conftantly to ufe the means which 
nature has given them for felf-prefervation, we can have 
no reafon to think they are deftitute of that principle upon 
which it is founded. 
Rut there is no need of arguments drawn from the in¬ 
ferior creation. We ourfelves are poffefled both of the 
animal and vegetable life, and certainly mult know whe¬ 
ther there is any connection between vegetation and fenfa- 
tion or not. We are confcious that we exift ; that we hear, 
fee, &c. but of our vegetation we are abfolutely incon- 
fcious. We feel a pleafure, for infiance, in gratifying the 
calls of hunger and thirft ; but of the procefs by which 
our aliment improves our growth and vigour, we are al¬ 
together ignorant. If we, then, who are more perfect 
than other vegetables, are utterly infenfible of our own 
vegetable life, why fhould we imagine that the lefs perfeCt 
vegetables are feniible of it ? 
Thus we may ealily give M. Button a reafon why we 
afcribe fenfation to an oyfter, and none to a vegetable, name¬ 
ly, becaufe we perceive the vegetable do nothing but what 
is alfo performed in our own bodies, without our having 
the lealt fenfation of it; whereas an oyfter puts itfelf in a 
defenlive pofture on the approach of danger; and, this be¬ 
ing an aCtion fimilar to our own upon a like occafion, we 
conclude that it proceeds from the fame principle of fen¬ 
fation. Here it may alfo be obferved, that, though the 
inferior animals are deficient in the number, they are by 
no means fo in the acutenefs, of their fenfations ; on the 
contrary, though a mufclc or an oyfter is probably en¬ 
dowed with no other fenfe than that of feeling, yet this 
fenfe is lo exquifite, that it will contract upon the flight- 
eft touch, Inch as we fhould be altogether infenfible of 
ourfelves. 
Animal-Flower, in zoology, a name given to feve- 
ral fpecies of animals belonging to the genus aElinia. The 
grand argument for animal life in vegetables, was origi¬ 
nally inferred from the curious conftruCtion of the aElinia 
genus ; viz. the fea-ananone, fca-fun-jlower, frejh-water 
polypus, &c. which having indeed the external form and 
figure of vegetables, with fcarcely any progreftive motion, 
might ealily deceive fuperficial obfervers; but, when more 
minutely examined, the polypus, and all the aCtinia clafs, 
turn out to be abfolute animals; the heads or mouths of 
which, when open, refemble a full-blown flower, whence 
7*S 
they are called flowcr-jifli. There is one fpecies of them, 
which the pure ft white, carmine, and ultramarine, are fcarce 
lufficient to exprefs their brilliancy. The bodies of fome 
of them are hemifpherical, of others cylindrical, and of 
others fhaped like a fig. Their fubftance likewife differs; 
fome are ftiff and gelatinous, others flefhy and mufcu.lar; 
but all of them are capable of altering their figure when 
they extend their bodies and claws in fearch of food. They 
are found on many of the rocky coafts of the Weft-lndia 
iflands, and on fome parts of the coaft of England. They 
have only one opening, which is in the centre of the up- 
permoft part of the animal; round tills are placed rows 
ot flefhy claws; this opening is the mouth of the animal, 
and is capable of great extenfion. The animals them- 
felves,. though exceedingly voracious, will bear long faff¬ 
ing. They may be preferred alive a v'hole year, or per¬ 
haps longer, in a veftel of fea-wuter, without any viiible 
food; but, when food is prefented, one of them will fuc- 
ceflively devour two mufcles in their (hells, or even (wal¬ 
low a whole crab as large as a hen’s egg. In a day or two 
the crab-fhell is voided at the mouth, perfectly cleared of 
all the meat. The mufcle-lhells are likewife difcharg- 
ed whole, with the (hells joined together, but entirely 
empty, fo that not the lead particle of fifh is to be per¬ 
ceived on opening them. An anemone of one fpecies will 
even fwallow an individual of another fpecies; but, after 
retaining it ten or twelve hours, will throw it up alive 
and uninjured. Through this opening alfo it produces 
its young ones alive, already furnifhed with little claws, 
which, as foon as they fix themfelves, they begin to extend 
in fearch of food. One of the extremities of the fea-ane- 
mone exactly refembles the outward leaves of that flower ; 
while its limbs are not unlike the fhag or inner part of it. 
By the other extremity it fixes itfelf, as by a fucker, to 
the rocks or (tones lying in the fand ; but it is not totally 
deprived of the power of progreflive motion, as it can 
fliift its fituation, though very (lowly. 
A peculiar fpecies of animal-flowers, called the dujlercd 
animal-Jlower, has been found in fome of the Weft-lndia 
iflands, an account of which was publifned in the Philo- 
fopliical TranfaCtions, vol. 57, by Mr. Ellis, in a letter 
to Lord Hillfborough. This compound animal, which is 
of a tender flefhy fubftance, conlifts of many tubular bo¬ 
dies, (welling gently towards the upper part, and ending 
like a bulb or very fmall onion. On the top of each is its 
mouth, furrounded by one or two rows of tentacles, or 
claws, which when contracted look like circles of beads. 
The lower part of all thefe bodies has a communication 
with a firm flefhy wrinkled tube, which (ticks Lift to the 
rocks, and fends forth other flefhy tubes, which creep along 
them in various directions. Thefe are full of different 
fizesof thefe remarkable animals, which rife up irregularly 
in groi?ps near to one another. This adhering tube, that 
fecures them faft to the rock, or fhelly bottom, is worthy 
of our notice. The knobs are formed into leveral parts 
of it by its infintiating itfelf into the inequalities of the 
coral rock, or by grafping pieces of (hells, part of which 
(till remain- in it, with the flefhy fubftance grown over 
them. This (hews us the inftin.Ct of nature, that directs 
thefe animals to preferve themfelves from the violence of 
the waves, not unlike the anchoring of mufcles, by their 
fine filken filaments that end in fuckers ; or rather like the 
fhelly bafis of the ferpula, or worm-fliell, the tree-oyfter, 
and the flipper-barnacle, &c. whofe bafes conform to the 
fhape of whatever fubftance they fix themfelves to, grafp¬ 
ing it faft with their teftaceous claws, to withftand the 
fury of a ftorm. When we view the infide of this animal 
dilfeCled lengthwife, we find a little tube leading from, 
the mouth to the ftomaeli, from whence there rife eight 
wrinkled fmall guts in a circular order, with a yellowilh 
(oft fubftance in them; thefe'bend over in the form of 
arches towards the lower part of the bulb, from whence 
they may be traced downwards, to the narrow part of the 
upright tube, till they come to the flefhy adhering tube, 
where fome of them may be perceived entering, into the 
3 " papilla 
