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Show Additional Notes. preface to the natural order , and Amen it. Acacl. VI. 27'9. This mode of rca. oning· may be extended to the most imple productions of spon-taneous vitality. There is oue curious ·ircum 'tancc of animal life analogous in some dco-ree to thi wonderful pow r of reproduction; which is seen in the pr~pacration of some conUwiou ~li~·case .. Thus one grain of v~rioJous matter, in crtcd by inoculatiOn, sha.llm about seven days stunuJatc the system into unuatural action; which in about ,·en days more produces tell thou and time the quantity of a similar material thrown out on the skin in pustu1cl:l! The my tcry of rep roduction, which alone distinguishes organic life from mechanic or ch mic action, is yet wrapt in darkness. During the dccompo ition of organic bodies, where there ,xists a due degree of warmth with moisture, new microscopic animals of the mot>tt minute kind are pruduced; and these posse s the wonderful power of reproduction, or of producing animals similar to themselv s in their general stmcture, bnt with frequent additional improvements; which the preceding parent might in some measure have acquired by his habits of life or accidental situation. But it may appear too bold in the present state of our knowledge on this subject, to suppose that all vegetable and animal now cxi ting were originally derived from the smallest microscopic ones, formed by spontaneous vitality? and that they have by innumerable reproduc· tions, during innumerable centuries of time, gradually acquired the size, strength, and excellence of form and faculties, which they now possess? aud that such amazing powers were originally imprc sed on matter and spirit by the great Parent of Parents! Cause of Cause 1 Ens Entium! 39 ADDITIONAL NOTES. 1X. STORG E.' And Heaven-born STonGE weaves the social elwin. C~:~nto II. L 92. . TuE Gre~k word Storge is used for the a~ection of parents to chd~ren; wh1ch was also visibly represented by the Stork or Pelican feedmg her young w!th blood taken from her own wounded bosom. A number of Pelicans form a semicircle in shallow parts of the sea near the coast, standing on their long legs; and thus including a shoal of small fish, they gradually approach the shore; and seizing the fish as they ad vance, rccei ve them into a pouch under their throats· and bringing them to l::l.l1d regurgitate them for the use of their y~uno· or for their future support. Aclanson, Voyage to Senegal. In thi~ country the parent Pigeons both male and female swallow the grain or ot_hcr . eeds, which they collect for th eir young, and briug it up mixed w1th a kind of milk from their stomachs, with their bills inserted into the mouths of the young cloves. J. Hunter's works. The affection of the parent to the young in experienced mothers may be in part owing to their having been relieved by them from the burden of their milk; but it is difficult to understand, how this affection commences in those mothers of the bestial world, who have not experienced this relief from the sucking of their offspring; and still more so to nndersta11cl how female birds were at first induced to incubate their eggs for many weeks; and lastly how caterpillars, as of the silk-worm, are induced to cover themselves with a well-woven house of silk before their transformation. These as well as many other animal facts, which are difficult to account for, have been referred to an inexplicable instinct; which is supposed to preclude any further investigation: but as animals seem to have undergone great changes, as well as the inanimate parts of the earth, and are probably still iu a state of gra.Jual improvement; it is not unreasonable to conclude, that some of these action both of large |
