7S 



HARD WICKE ' S S CIE NCE- G O SSI P. 



they then appeared to die from sheer old age, a 

 passive waiting for the dissolution ; in other cases 

 accidental injury from some cause or other, not 

 known, heavily handicapped the individual and cut 

 its life short. A peculiar form of disease was noted 

 on several occasions. It commenced to exhibit itself 

 at the extreme limits of the arms ; a small contraction 

 would be the first indication. This continued until a 

 short length became detached, and by the movements 

 of the creature would be driven away. These 

 particles assumed a globular shape. In some in- 

 stances a slight movement of the seta; was imagined ; 

 but whether this was really the case, witness would 

 rather not say, but any one not knowing the source 

 from whence these particles came would have pro- 

 nounced them perfect organisms. This detachment 

 of particles would continue until the five arms were 

 reduced to mere stumps. Starvation terminated 

 existence in such cases. One had lost an entire 

 arm, but made a gallant fight with the remaining 

 four, and succeeded in fulfilling the object of its 

 existence. 



Malformation or teratology is not unfrequent. 

 The creature would then present a very woebegone 

 appearance ; instead of the graceful form and beauti- 

 ful curves it would be shortened, thickened, angular : 

 sluggish in its movements, and a general don't-care- 

 about-anything style clearly portrayed. The term of 

 life was much shortened under such conditions. 



Their appetite appears insatiable, they seem ever 

 on the alert for food. Animal organisms are pre- 

 ferred, but if these fail they will take vegetable. 

 One was observed with the empty lorica of a small 

 rotifer engulfed. This was too much for the digestive 

 powers ; it withstood disintegration, and Stephano- 

 ceras was the first to disappear. Another embraced 

 a Stentor within its arms and retained it for some 

 time, making decided attempts to appropriate it. 

 Its efforts were futile, and the meal had to be 

 abandoned. 



Do they possess urticating power? From some 

 observations made, I am disposed to think they can 

 exercise this function. Having given a supply of 

 water which was teeming with monads, the arms of 

 Stephanoceras quickly enclosed a larger number than 

 it could conveniently make use of. They would 

 continue to dart about within the limits of the crown, 

 until, by a sudden retraction of the foot-stalk and 

 opening of the arms, the entire contents were ejected. 

 On emergence, many of the monads lay motionless, 

 some for ever ; others recovered, and went on their 

 way as usual. If my surmise is correct, as to their 

 possessing this power, I am disposed to think the 

 most potent effects were exercised towards the 

 extremities of the arms. The organisms would be 

 lively until they came in contact with the setce 

 located in these parts. Here the natural movement 

 of the organism ceased, and they were finally ejected 

 as described. 



The subject was full of interest. The creatures 

 became almost acquaintances, and their welfare was 

 studied accordingly ; death caused regret, but birth 

 brought satisfaction. I can recommend their study to 

 all — a capital exercise to develop patience. Will 

 any follow on ? 



Cardiff. 



GOSSIP ON CURRENT TOPICS. 

 By W. Mattieu Williams, F.R.A.S., F.C.S. 



SYNTHESIS OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS. 

 — Within my recollection one of the positive 

 dogmas of chemistry was that it is impossible by any 

 laboratory process to make organic compounds from 

 inorganic materials. That one organic compound 

 could be made from another by substitution of 

 elements, or by such actions as convert sugar into 

 alcohol or vinegar was understood, just as we now 

 understand the evolutions of new species from other 

 species, but the creation of organic materials from 

 mineral matter was regarded by chemists to be just 

 as impossible as biologists still regard the creation of 

 organised beings from anything but an organised 

 germ. 



Gradually, however, the chemical chasm has been 

 narrowed and even bridged, and the supposed 

 chemical impossibility approximately achieved. At 

 first, the organic substances built up by inorganic 

 synthesis were only those of questionable class, such 

 as are formed in the later stages of organic 

 degeneration, by the so-called organic substances in 

 the course of their disintegration to form mineral 

 matter, but this is no longer the case. Substances 

 which according to the old definitions are strictly 

 organic, and which according to old theories can 

 only be built up by the intervention of " vital force," 

 are now constructed from purely mineral materials 

 or from those of lower rank in the scale of organic 

 degradation. 



One of the latest of these achievements is the 

 synthesis of glucose or "grape sugar," the substance 

 from which it is gradually built up by a series of 

 additions and subtractions of elements being acrolein, 

 a compound resulting from the partial combustion of 

 one of the alcohols. Year by year the achievements 

 in this direction become more and more pronounced,, 

 and no sound philosopher will now venture to define 

 the limits of such progress. I should, however, 

 explain to non-technical readers that, although the 

 sugars are all organic compounds, i.e. compounds 

 which only exist naturally as the results of organic 

 action, they are not organised, they exhibit no traces 

 of organic structure ; their structure is crystalline, and 

 in this respect they resemble minerals. We have not 

 yet reached the synthesis of the materials of organic 

 tissues, such as gelatin, chondrin, &c, but this glucose 



