The article examines the role of anonymous writings in the spontaneous generation controversy, particularly those of Réaumur, Needham, and Buffon. Contrary to the standard view, it is shown that Needham's and Buffon's theories and experiments were not neglected, but were discussed in a number of articles published in scientific journals such as the Journal Britannique and the Journal Economique. A perusal of the scientific journals of the mid-18th century shows that most articles dealing with generation were anonymous. Such a practice was not limited to publications containing materialistic views, but was also adopted by authors who wished to avoid public involvement in debates on metaphysical issues.