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generated in the Clouds, may farther be made appear, 1. From the extreme Cold of the Middle Region of the Air, where the Vapours are turned into Clouds, which is not at all propitious to Generation. For did not fo great Men as Ariftotle and Erasmus report it, I could hardly be induced to believe, that there could be one Species of Infects generated in Snow. 2. Because if there were any Animals engender'd in the Clouds, they must needs be maimed and dashed in Pieces by the Fall, at least fuch as fell in the High-ways, and upon the→ Roofs of Houses; whereas we read not of any fuch broken or imperfect Frogs found any where. This laft Argument was fufficient to drive off the learned Fromondus from the Belief of their Generation in the Clouds; but the Matter of Fact he takes for granted, I mean the Spontaneous Generation of Frogs out of Duft and Rain-Water, from an Observation or Experiment of his own at the Gates of Tournay in Flanders, to the Sight of which Spectacle he called his Friends who were there prefent, that they might admire it with him. A fudden Shower (faith he) falling upon the very dry Duft, there fuddenly appeared fuch an Army of little Frogs, leaping about every where upon the dry Land, that there was almost nothing else to be feen. They were also of one Magnitude and Colour: Neither did it appear out of what lurking Places [Latibula] fo many Myriads could creep out, and Juddenly discover themselves upon the dry and dufty Soil, which they hate. But

faving the Reverence due to fo great a Man, I doubt not but they did all creep out of their Holes and Coverts, invited by the agreeable Vapour of the Rain-Water. This, however unlikely it may feem, is a thousand times more probable, than their inftantaneous and undifcernible Generation out of a little dry Duft and Rain-Water, which also cannot have any Time to mix and ferment together, which is the Hypothefis he adheres to. Nay, I affirm, that it is not at all improbable; for he that fhall walk out in Summer-Nights, when it begins to grow dark, may observe such a Multitude of great Toads and Frogs crawling about in the High-ways, Paths and Avenues to Houses, Yards and Walks of Gardens and Orchards, that he will wonder whence they came, or where they lurk'd all the Winter, and all the Day-time, for that then it's a rare thing to find one.

To which add, That in fuch Frogs as we are fpeaking of, Monfieur Perault hath upon Diffection often found the Stomach full of Meat, and the Inteftines of Excrement; whence he justly concludes, That they were not then first formed, but only appear'd of a fudden; which is no great Wonder, fince upon a Shower after a Drought Earth-Worms and Land-Snails innumerable come out of their lurking-Places in like manner.

In Confirmation of what I have here writ ten against the Spontaneous Generation of Frogs, either in the Clouds out of Vapour, or

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on the Earth out of Duft and Rain-Water commix'd; endeavouring to prove, by Force of Argument, that there is no fuch thing; I have lately received from my learned and ingenious Friend Mr. William Derham, Rector of Upminster near Rumford in Effex, a Relation parallel to that of Fromondus, concerning the fudden Appearance of a vaft Number of Frogs after a Shower or two of Rain marching crofs a fandy way, that before the Rain was very dufty; and giving an Account, where in all Likelihood they were generated by Animal Parents of their own Kind, and whence they did proceed. The whole Narrative I fhall give the Reader in his own Words.

Some Years ago, as I was riding forth one Afternoon in Berks, I happened upon a prodigious Multitude creeping cross the way. It was a fandy Soil, and the Way had been full of Duft, by Reafon of a dry Seafon that then was. But an Hour or two before a refreshing fragrant Shower or two of Rain had laid the Duft. Whereupon what I had heard or read of the Raining of Frogs immediately came to my Thoughts; as it eafily might do, there being pro bably as good Reafon then for me, as I believe any ever had before, to conclude, that these came from the Clouds, or were instantaneously genera ted. But being prepoffeffed with the contrary Opinion, viz. That there was no equivocal Ge neration, I was very curious in enquiring whence this vaft Colony might probably come: And upon Searching, I found two or three Acres of Land cover'd

317 cover'd with this black Regiment, and that they all marched the fame Way towards fome Woods, Ditches, and fuch like cool Places in their Front, and from large Ponds in their Rear. I traced them backwards, even to the very Side of one of the Ponds. Thefe Ponds in Spawning Time always used to abound much with Frogs, whofe Croaking I have heard at a confiderable Diftance; and a great deal of Spawn I have found there.

From thefe Circumftances I concluded, that this vaft Colony was bred in thofe Ponds from whenceward they steered their Course: That after their Incubation (if I may fo call it) or Hatching by the Sun, and their having pass'd their Tadpole-State; they had lived (till that Time of their Migration) in the Waters, or rather on the Shore, among the Flags, Rufbes, and long Grass: But now being invited out by the refreshing Showers, then newly fallen, which made the Earth cool and moift for their March, that they left their old Latibula, where perhaps they had devoured all their proper Food, and were now in Pursuit of Food, or a more convenient Habi

tation.

This I think not only reasonable to be concluded, but withall fo eafy to have been difcovered by any inquifitive Obferver, who in former Times met with the like Appearance, that I cannot but admire that fuch fagacious Philofophers, as Ariftotle, Pliny, and many others fince, should ever imagine Frogs to fall from the Clouds, or be any way inftantaneously, or spontaneously generated; especially

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efpecially confidering how openly they act their Coition, produce Spawn, this Spawn Tadpoles, and Tadpoles Frogs.

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Neither in Frogs only, but also in many other Creatures, as Lice, Flefb-Flies, Silk-Worms, and other Papilios, an uniform regular Generation was very obvious, which is an Argument to me of a frange Prepoffeffion of Fancy in the Ages fince Ariftotle, not to fay of Carelefness and Sloth. So far Mr. Derham.

In like manner doubtlefs Fromondus, had he made a diligent Search, might have found out the Place where thofe Myriads of Frogs, obferved by him about the Gates of Tournay, were generated, and whence they did proceed.

As for the Worms and other Animals bred in the Inteftines of Man and Beast, I have declared myself not to be fatisfied of the Way and Means, how their Seeds come to be conveyed into those Places; but yet that their Generation is analogous to that of other Creatures of those Kinds, I doubt not. The Conftancy to their Species; their exact Agreement and perpetual Similitude in the Shape and Fi gure of their Bodies, and all their Parts; their Confiftence, Temper, Motion, and other Accidents, are to me little lefs than a Demonftration, that they are not the Effects of Chance, but the Products of a fettled and fpermatick Principle. I am at prefent, till better in form'd, of Opinion, that their Eggs are swallowed with the Meat we eat; and I am the rather

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