INTRODUCTION. 
arrived at mature Size, they fend out other young ones on 
their Sides in the fame Manner; {fo that the Animal branches 
out into a numerous Offspring, growing out of one common 
Parent, and united together and difpofed in the Manner re- 
prefented in Plate before-mentioned, Fig. C: Each of thefe 
provides Nourifhment not only for itfelf, but for the whole 
Society ; an Increafe in the Bulk of one Polype by its feed- 
ing, tending to an Increafe in the reft. 
Thus a Polype of the Frefh-water Kind becomes like a 
RWI 
Plant branched out, or compofed of many Bodies, each of 
which has this fingular Charaéteriftic, that if one of them is 
or cut in Two in the Middle, the feparated Part becomes a 
complete Animal, and foon adhering to fome fixed Bafe, 
like the Parent from whence it was feparated, produces a 
Circle of Arms, a Mouth is formed in the Centre ; it in- 
creafes in Bulk, emits a numerous Progeny, and is, in every 
Refpea&, as perfect an Animal as that from which it was {e- 
vered. | 
Much after the fame Manner, fo far as hath hitherto been 
difcovered, the marine Polype, however different in refpect 
to Form, is nourifhed, increafes, and may be propagated ; 
having often found, in my Enquiries, that {mall Pieces cut 
off from the living Parent, on account of viewing the fe- 
veral Parts more accurately, foon give Indications, that they 
contain not only the Principles of Life, but likewife the Fa- 
culty of increafing and multiplying into a numerous Iffue,_- 
c TrRaNns- 
