tow 
ConcLustron, 
Hddhthey. remained longer in the Ocean; would moft, pro- 
_ bably have been equally effaced, by a fuecéeding Progeny. 
“Ie may feem too hafty to conclude, that not only the 
Subftances, deferibed in the preceding Pages, are of Animal 
Production, but even that thofe more compaét Bodies, known 
by the common Appellations of Star-Stones, Brain-Stones, 
petrefied Fungi, and the like, brought from various Parts of 
the Hai and Weft Indies, are of the fame Origin; and yet, 
there is one very ftrong Prefumption in favour of fuch an 
Opinion ; which arifes from this Obfervation, That the 
Ocean, in all the warmer Latitudes near the Shores, and 
wherever it is poflible to obferve, abounds fo much with 
Animal Life, that no inanimate Body can long remain un- 
occupied by fome Species. In thofe Regions, the Ships Bot- 
toms are foon covered with the Habitations of Thoufands of 
Animals; Rocks, Stones, and every Thing lifelef&, are co- 
vered with them inftantly. Even the Branches of living Vege- 
tables that hang into the Water are immediately loaded with. 
the Spawn of different Animals, Shell-fith of various Kinds. 
And Shell-fifh themfelves, when they grow impotent and 
old, become the Bafis of new Colonies of Animals, from 
whofe Attacks they can no longer defend themfelves. 
If therefore Animal Life is here fo plentifully diffafed, 
that neither inanimate Bodies, nor thofe in which the 
_ Powers of Vegetation are vigorous, nor Animals themfelves, 
if declining from their natural Vigour, can be fecured 
from Encroachments; how canwe to fuppofe, that the Bo- 
dies we are treating of, were they inanimate altogether, 
could remain fo free as we find them, from fuch Intruders? 
In fhort, was there no other Reafon to fupport the Allega- 
tion, this alone feems to make it more than probable, that 
the Polypes inhabiting the Corallines, Corals, Star-Stones, 
| Brain- 
