G. GENERAL NATURAL HISTORY AND ZOOLOGY. 281 



union of pseudopodia, long strings, in which separate indi- 

 viduals can glide to and fro. In several of the organisms 

 he examined, Cienkowsky was able to observe the taking up 

 of solid food by the suction of algae. Thus the boundary- 

 lines, it is added by the commentator, a German correspond- 

 ent o^ JVature^ which it has so long been usual to draw be- 

 tween plant and animal organisms, and between the indi- 

 vidual groups of those lowest forms of life, appear more and 

 more illusory ; and the supposition is recommended of a com- 

 mon lowest kimrdom of org-anisms that of the Protista of 

 Haeckel out of which animals and plants have by degrees 

 been differentiated. 



ARCHEBIOSIS. 



The Tyndall and Bartian controversy is still sub-judice. 

 The simple question is. Can air retaining all its gaseous 

 mixtures, but self-cleansed from mechanically suspended 

 matter, produce putrefaction ? In all the various experi- 

 ments made by Dr. Tyndall, when the substances were ex- 

 posed to common air at a temperature of 60 to 70, all fell 

 into a state of putrefaction in from two to four days not 

 one in 600 escaped ; but in no instance did air which had 

 been proved moteless by passing a concentrated beam of 

 light through it show the least power of producing bacterial 

 life, or the associated phenomena of putrefaction. Both sides 

 are preparing further experiments. Thus far, however, Dr. 

 Tyndall has come out of the controversy with all the weight 

 of scientific evidence and philosophic gravity of discussion 

 on his side, while Dr. Bartian has done injury to his cause 

 by adopting the well-known symptom of defeat, " abuse of 

 the plaintiff's attorney." JBrit. 3Ied. Journal^ January 29, 

 February 5 and 12. 



EVOLUTION OF THE HORSE. 



Professor Huxley devotes the sixth and last lecture of a 

 course upon the origin of existing vertebrate animals to 

 considering the evolution of the horse. After tracing the 

 genealogy of the horse from Orohippus, through Paleothe- 

 rium, Hipparion, etc., to Equus, the author remarks as fol- 

 lows: "The evidence is conclusive as far as the fact of evo- 

 lution is concernedj for it is preposterous to assume that each 



