Retrofped of Dameftic Literature—Poctry, 
when the fluid in which. they exifted is 
dried up, and quickly to recover life and 
motion by the frefh addition of water and 
warmth ; thus the, chaos redivivum of 
Lithdie dwells in vinegar, and in book- 
binder’s pafte : it revives by water, after 
having been dried for years, and is both 
ov ipayous and viviparous. Sy/f, Nat. Shell- 
fiails have been kept in the cabinets of 
the curious ina dry, ftate for ten years or 
Jonger, and have revived on being moifien- 
ed with watmifh water. Phil. Tran.— 
The hydra of Linngzus revives after hay- 
ing been dried, reftores itfelf after muti- 
lation, is multiplied by being divided, is 
propagated from {mall portions, and lives 
after being inverted. All thefe phenome- 
na Dr. Darwin thinks would be beft ex- 
plained by the doétrine of fpontaneous 
reproduction from organic particles not 
yet completely decompofed; and he is 
inclined to infer that ¢* organic particles of 
dead v-g-tables and animais, during their 
tfual chemical changes into putridity or 
acidity, do not lofe all their orgamsation 
or-vit ality, bat retain fo much of it as to 
unite with the parts of living animals in 
the procefs of nutrition ; or unite and pro- 
duce new complicate animals by fecretion, 
as in generation ; or produce very fimple 
thicrofcopic animals, or microfcopic vege- 
tables, by their new combinations in 
warmthand moifure.” 
This theory, then, affumes the prin. 
ciple of a perpetual and progreflive im- 
provement, by reproduction, in all animals 
and végetables ; 3 it affumes alfo that: this 
improvement produces an abfolute change 
in'the generating organs. Chemical dif- 
folutions and new combinationsof organic 
matter in watery fluids, with fufficient 
warmth, prepare particles, which in confe- 
quence of certain inherent and effential 
appetencies and propenfities, unite with 
each other and form, microfcopic animal- 
cules. This Dr. Darwin calls fponta- 
neous vitality, and is the firft link in the 
chain. Dr. Prieftley’s conferva fontina- 
lis, the fuagi which grow on rotten tim- 
ber, in vaults, &c. the efculent mufhroom, 
and the microfcopic animalcules found in 
all folutions of vegetable or animal mat- 
ter in water, although themfelves fponta- 
Neoufly originating from the conorefs of 
decompofing organic particles, neverthe- 
Jets poffets the power of producing others 
like themfeives by folitary reproduction 
without fex. Mr. Ellis in Phil. Tran. V. 
EIX.: The next inferior kinds of vege- 
tales and animals alfo, as the buds and 
Bulbs raifed immediately from feeds, the 
Fycoperdon tuber, with probably many 
635 
other fungi, and the polypus, volvox, and 
tania, propagate by folitary generation 
only. This is the fecond link. ** Thofe. 
of the next order propagate both by foli- 
fary and fexual reproduction, as thofe 
buds and bulbs which produce flowers, as 
well as other buds and bulbs, and the 
aphis, and probably many other infects. 5 
whence it appears that many of thofe vee 
getables and animals which are produced 
by folitary generation, gradually become 
more perfect, and at length produce a 
fexual progeny.” 
But the tranfition from folitary to fexual 
reproduétion was too abrupt: a {mall in- 
termediate link therefore was interpofed, 
namely, the hermaphrodite made of repro- 
du@tion ; as in thofe flowers which have 
anthers La ftigmas in the fame coro]; 
from this imperfection of ftate, fome ant- 
mals, as fnails and worms, have not yet 
extricated.themfelves. As hermaphrodite 
infects, fhell-fnails, dew-worms, &c. are 
feen reciprocally to copulate with each 
other, it is fulpected that they are inca- 
pable of impregnating themfelves. For 
the final caufe of this incapacity, fey 
Zoon, Vol. 1. Sect. xxxix. 6.2.) This ¢s 
the third link. The moft perfect order of 
animals are prepagated by fexual intere 
courfe only.* ‘This is the laft link; the 
matter-piece of Nature ! 
If fuch has been the progrefs of perfec. 
tion in the formative organs of the animal 
and vegetable kingdoms—if the powers 
which certain fpecies now enjoy, are the 
conlequence of efforts uninterruptedly ex- 
erted threugh the lapie of countlels ages, 
are we to infer, that the nobler animals, 
and Man among them, were originally con- 
ftituted with this primitive organic fimpli- 
city ? All male quadrupeds, and the biped 
man, have breafts and nipples: the breaits 
at nativity are replete with a thin milky 
fluid, and the nipples (well on titillation, 
Are thele, then, the fruftrate veltiges of 
ancient ftructure? Was there a time in the 
t 
* <¢ This however does not extend to ve- 
getables, as all thofe raifed from feed produce 
fome generations of buds or bulbs prévious to 
their producing flowers, as occurs not only in 
trees, but alfo in annual plants. Thusthree 
or four joints of wheat grow upon each other 
before that which produces a fower’—analo- 
goufly with the reproduction of aphides—- 
~~‘ which joints are all feparate plants grow- 
ing over each other, like the buds of trees, 
previous to the uppermoft ; though this hap- 
pens in a few months in annual. plants, which 
requires aS many years in the tucceflive buds 
of trees, as is further explained in Phytologi:, 
eg at, EC iy Maio . 
3 Nailin? jnvenility 
