f April x, 
and drakes (as they are called) are not He publifhed, in 1768, a fmall tra&: 
produced by the elafticity of the water, Dell’ Azione del Cuore ne’ Vafi Senguicni 
but by the natural effeét of the change of xuove Offervaxioni, and he reprinted it in 
direction which the ftone experiences in its 1773 with three new differtations, De’ Fe- 
movement, after the water has been ftruck omeni della Circolaxione ofervata nel’ Giro 
by it, and that it has been carried over untverfalide’ Vafi; de’ Fenomeni della Cir- 
the bend or hollow of the cup formed by colaztone Languente; de’ Moti del Songue in- 
the concuffion. dependente del Aztone del Cuore e del Pulfare 
In 1768 he prepared the philofophers delle Arterie. This weik, but little 
264. _ Life and Labours of Spallanzant. 
for the furprifing difcoveries he was about 
to offer them throughout his life, in pub- 
lifhing his Prodromo di un Opera da Im- 
primerfi fopra le Riproduztont Animali. 
He therein lays down the plan of a work 
which he was anxious to get up on this 
important fubject; but this fimple pro- 
known, contains a feries of obfervations 
and experiments, of the moft ingenious and 
delicate nature, upon a fubjeét of which 
the furface only is known. This work 
merits the attention of thofe who are in- 
terefied in the progrefs of phyfiology. 
When the univeriity of Padua was re: 
{pefeus contains more real knowledge than eftablifhed upon a larger {eale, the emprefs 
211 the books which had appeared, beeaufe~-Maria Therefa direfted the Count de 
it taught the method that ought to befol- , Firmian to invite him to fill a chair, as 
lowed in this dark refearch, and contained  profeflor of natural hiflory; his great re- 
many unexpected facis; fuch as the pre-  putation rendered him eligible for this 
exiftence of tadpoles at the fecundation, in diftinétion, {elicited by many celebrated 
many {pecies of toads and frogs ; the re- 
produftion of the head cut off from nails, 
which he had already communicated to 
Bonnet, in 1766, and which was difputed 
for fometime, in {pite of the repeated con- 
firmation of this phenomenon by Herif- 
fant and Lavoifier. He demonftrated it 
men, and he merited it by his fuccefs, and 
by the crowd of ftudents who thronged 
to his leffons. Only great men make ex- 
cellent mafters, becaule their ideas are 
the moft perfpicuous, the moft extenfive, 
and beft connected. 
SPALLANZANI united a vaft extent of 
_fearching after them, and feizing them. 
‘again afterwards in the Memorie della knowledge to a fine genius; 2 method fim- 
Societa Italiana; as alfo the renewal of ple, but rigorous inits nature, and he con- 
the tail, the limbs, and even the jaws, taken nected what he knew to principles firmly 
from the aquatic falamander. Thefe faéts eftablifhed. His ardent love of truth made 
continue to aftonifh even at this day, when him difcufs, with the utmoft care, the thee- 
they are thought of, notwithftandingevery ries which prevailed ; to found their folidi- 
one has had the opportunity of familia- - ty, .and difcever their weak fides. The 
rifing himfelf with them: and we hardly great art which he had acquired, of inter- 
know which we ought mofito admire, the preting nature by herfelf, diffufed fuch a 
expertnefs of SPALLANZANI in affording light over his leilonsas made every thing 
fuch decifive proofs, or his boldnefs in perfpicuous that was capable of afford- 
ing inftru€tion. An eleguence at once 
We have to regret that the projec of his 
great undertaking is not realized, but va- 
--rlous circumftances prevented him from 
giving way to the folicitations of his friends 
for its accomplifhment. I fhould fufpect 
that he defpaired of throwing upon every 
part of it all the light which at firft he 
thought he might be able; and that he 
found it prudent to mature his ideas by 
new meditations: this, perhaps, may have 
been as powerful a caufe, as that other 
calls and occupations, perpetually accumu- 
lating, fhould not have allowed him to pur- 
fue it as he-had intended. He has always 
laid nature open to full view, and the 
thinneft veil darkened her till he fucceeded 
in removing it altogether. 
The phyfiolory of Haller that SpaL- 
LANZANI fiudied, fixed his attention upon 
the circulation of the blood, in which he 
difcovered feveral remarkable phenomena. 
plain. and lively animated. his difcourfe ; 
the purity and elegance of his ftyle charm- 
“ed all who heard it: in thort, it was known 
that he always occupied himfelf about the 
means of rendering his leflons ufeful, which 
he prepared a year beforehand. ‘They be- 
came always new and engaging, by kis 
new obfervations, and by the enlarged 
views that his meditations prefented to 
him. The learned perfons who attended 
his le&tures were pleafed to become his 
{cholars, in order to know better what 
they already knew, and to learn that which 
otherwife they would perhaps never have 
known, 
In arriving at the univerfity, SPALLAN- 
ZANI took the Coztemmplaticn de la-~Nature 
of Bonnet for the text of his leffons: he 
filled up the vacancies in it, he unfolded 
the ideas, and confirmed the theories by 
his experiments, He believed with reafon, 
that 
