HAHDWICKE'S SCIEK CE-GOS SIP. 



153 



mary are often joined together: the name of the 

 latter means " dew of the sea," and it was supposed 

 to be useful for strengthening the memory: its name 

 in all languages has reference to some special use 

 or property. 



Those plants to which we have directed our atten- 

 tion, and with most of which we are well acquainted 

 by sight, are only a few of the great number having 

 superstitions associated with them : tbe connection 

 is sometimes to be traced to its source, but, very 

 frequently, there is no ostensible reason for it. All 

 the heathen divinities had their particular plants ; 

 and, with equal superstition, in the Christian era, 

 the Roman Catholic saints have flowers dedicated 

 to them. Very many belong to the Virgin, as is 

 seen in their uames,--Lady's tresses. Lady's slippers, 

 Marigolds, &c. &c. All star-shaped flowers liave 

 been revered, and dark and poisonous plants held 

 in awe. In the study of these things, there is no 

 botanical, nor particularly useful result; but as 

 plants have been given to us in such abundance for 

 our enjoyment, we think it cannot be uninteresting 

 at least to trace the connection between many of 

 them with legends and history. 



THE DIATOMACE.E AND HETERO- 

 GENESIS. 



IN the January part of the Lei>s, Professor H. 

 L. Smith publishes some severe remarks on 

 Dr. Basf.iau's assertion that Diatoms and Desmids 

 are developed from Confervse, &c. " Dr. Bastian at 

 p. 455 says : ' It seems, however, to be quite certain 

 tiiat a community of nature exists between Algae, 

 Pediastreaj, Desmids, and Diatoms, since similar 

 vegetable cells mav, on the same or on different 

 occasions, grow into forms belonging: to either one 

 of these groups ; and, moreover, the forms are 

 strictly co)/vertible with one (j/wtherviniW thet/ chance 

 to assume the form of Diatoms. . . . Diatoms con- 

 stitute the terminal forms of a divergent series, the 

 iiiidille term of the series, liowever, viz. Pediastrea; 

 and Desmids, are convertible in both directions, 

 either back into Conf<-rva3 or onwards into less- 

 vitalized Diatoms' The itnlics are our own. Now 

 liere we have a distinct assertion, but, as we shall 

 see, it is simply an assertion supported by no real 

 proof. Dr. Basti m knows very little about Diatoms 

 or Desmids, and deals with them altogether at 

 second-hand, and from very doubtful authorities. 

 As to the less-vitalized character of Diatoms and 

 llieir chancing from Pediastrese and Desmids, no 

 one at all familiar witli them in the living condition 

 can for a moment believe it. They have a far more 

 complicated internal structure than the more 

 highly vitalized (!) Pediastrea and Desmids, from 

 which, according to Dr. Bastian, they may chance 

 to assume their forms. We have observed the 



growth and reproduction of Diatomaceoe to little 

 purpose, according to Dr. Gros and Dr. Bastian. 

 "We have witnessed more of conjugation and growth 

 probably than any other person, and can affirm, 

 without fear of its being disproved, that such chance, 

 or, indeed, any kind of transformation of Pediastrese 

 or Desmids into Diatoms, never has happened, nay, 

 more, never will happen. Dr. Bastian lias never 

 seen it ; and as for Dr. Gros, — well, twenty years ago 

 men might be pardoned for believing many things 

 which we smile at now. When Dr. Bastian or any 

 competent observer watches the transformation 

 through every stage, and no link of the chain is 

 missing or defective, then, and not till then, will we 

 believe it. . . . What we insist upon is positive 

 proof; and that Dr. Bastian has been misled by 

 appearances (and by Dr. Gros), or, to use his own 

 words nearly, that iiis ' presumptions have stolen a 

 march upon established facts,' will, we think, be 

 tolerably evident as we explain some of the appear- 

 ances actually observed by Drs. Bastian and Gros. 

 We pass by Dr. Gros's own words quoted by Dr. 

 Bastian, and come to the actual observations of the 

 latter. We will not question now that part that 

 relates to the production of ' unmistakable filamen- 

 tous Desmids.* . . . We look more particularly 

 to the account of evolution of Diatoms, fully con- 

 vinced, however, that the errors of misinterpreting 

 what he saw, are quite as great with the Desmids 

 as with the Diatoms. The woodcut entitled ' Modes 

 of Origin of Desmids and Diatoms,' has, by way of 

 explanation, e e * * * * [see fig. in ' Beginnings of 

 Life'] ; Pediculated Diatoms were also seen budding 

 from the same cladophora filament.' Poor as the 

 cut is, we easily recognize these ' pediculated 

 diatoms ' as Achnanthes exilis in its normal condition ; 

 and if Dr. Bastian wishes it, we can show him 

 thousands of this well-known form pretty much as 

 he figures it, growing on a pedicel, the result of its 

 own secretions, not only on cladophora, but quite as 

 frequently on Mongeolia, Vaucheria, or some fresh- 

 water alga. 



" The marine forms J. longipes, A. hreclpes, A. sub- 

 sessilis. Sec, all attach themselves by a similar stipes 

 to marine conferva. 



[1 have A. longipes and A. hrevipes attached to a 

 fragment of decayed wood, and Synedra investiens 

 and Rhipidophora abbreviata, originally growing 

 luxuriantly on a buoy at Scratby, Norfolk. On 

 scraping them off, I found the stipes attaclied to 

 the fragments of wood, pretty conclusive evidence 

 that they were not buddings from any other form 

 of alga.— F. K.] 



" What is represented by Dr. Bastian then is no 

 process of budding at all. 



"Anyone who will observe the large and living 

 Diatoms with care will notice the nucleus and 

 ramifying nerve-like threads, and the beautiful 

 distribution of endochrome with reference to these. 



