Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-20

DEVELOPMENT OF INSECT LIFE.

DEVELUPMENT Of lNoEO1 LII -.
Two or three months ago we published letter
from FRANCIS b. OGDEN, Esq, American Oonspi
at Manchester, to his kinsman A. y. DAYTON, Esq
Of this c;tv. giving an account Of Mr. CROSSES ex-
neriments in developing insect life by galyanism
That letter our readers will remember elected a
yery interesting article from esteemed scientnc
friend. BENJAMIN HALLowELL, OF Alexandra
and now we subjoin the reply OF Mr., CROSSE 70
that article, conveyed in another letter from Mr,
OGDEN: - ,oro
NJ nv Gin. forwarded the National Intelli gencer
containing the remarks Of Professor HALLowELL, to Mr.
Crosse and two or three days since received from him
reply to my letter accompanying H. Inc following an
extract
"The Professors remarks upon my experiments on
the acar the whole well made, with the exception
of the possibility of my installing the motions OF the ami
NAL for the undustions attending capitalization OF
mineral In your account you have given excellent
sketch Of the apparatus employed in my most accurate
experiment this subject but beg to observe that in
this experiment only made its appearance,
and this took place the l4Oh day after
ment. The apparatus was placed on shelf IN sub
terranean cellar which was quite dark. On the l4Oth
day. examining the bulb Of the retort by lens
with lamp held behind it, distinctly perceived large
welformed acarus, moving rapidly Withn the retort.
at first fancied it might be the outside OF the bulb
passed my finger repeatedly its surface, but on
removing it the stu visib and watched it
for considerable time it crawled around the inside
Of the retort above the fluid it contained never saw
this acarus again. did observe any other during
this experiment have however, many hundreds
in other experimental and most antpey watched their
development from an incpient peck hemisphere to
{ ;tsf ,l with the Ogntle-
man who observed in your letter that those experiments
should be received with or less distrust and
can assure him and the public that has felt more
disrust them than myself 1t is not my object to take
the least credit to myself for these observations was
an humble investigator of truth and it is my wish to en-
courage others to investigation of the II has
long been my belief that the electric influence is the great
principle by which the Almighty puts together and spa-
and that it might be called, metaphorcay speak
ing the right Of God. trust long to give to the
world detailed account of my observations and
experiments animal and vegetable life, as connected
with electrical action. / judge whether this
be distinct species not. On this there are
conflicting opinions have already observed that these
acari alcays produced upon surface kept constantly
moist under fluid observed them two inches be-
low the surface of uo slcic acid, forming upon piece
of negatively electrified quartz When sufficiently adj
Vanceu 10 tnrOW tnese UcnS
approached by sharp point, pin such like, COL
apsed and shrunk from the touch like the zoophytes
rocks, and after time expanded again. This the
first symptom Of animal life. earnestly wish these
perments repeated and varied in every possible
way In vast number of experiments have produced
various sorts of fungi, where should have
pected to see them, and in some of them the fungi
have preceded the acar We know little of these
mysterious matters at present confne them within
the present laws Of science
"P. 8. used soda in the above experiments Caus
tic potash, siez and water the only ingredients 1t
is my intention, can, to publish account
Of my experiments relative to these animal and vege
table mysteries. In fact have begun to write my
treatise
"You perfectly welcome, my dear sir, publish
any part the whole of this letter, you think ft"
The above from Mr. CROSSE must satisfy the most in
creduous that animal life actually produced instead
of mineral There could be mistake Of the for the
other, unless the imperfect crystal" the fluctuations Of
which the writer Of the remarks thinks might have been
mistaken for animal motion, could be imagined to have
received fuller development and endowed with automa-
tous power, have craued round the glass think the
Professor would be quite much astonished at such
sight at the other especially il procreativeness
added, and little perfect crystals were the result We
know too little Of the operations Of Nature and Of the
by which the awise Creator may choose to carry
out his works. to set up any infabe rule by which 10
judge TO limit them. The whole creation is miracle,
and to my mind the production Of animal life is not
miraculous than that Of vegetable. Man may accden-
tally by design, bring together the necessary ee-
mens by laws must produce certain results
and who win be presumptuous rs to set limit to
themi Yours, truly,
FRAS. b. OGDEN
Hon. A. o. DAYTON Washington