140 B. T. LOWNE ON SO-CALLED SPONTANEOUS GENERATION. 



spore-bearing filaments, and found that they were not altered in 

 their appearance by such treatment. The ripe spores are, however, 

 immediately scattered by contact with fluid. Now I can readily 

 understand why no fungi were discovered until after a long lapse 

 of time, in Dr. Bastian's solutions ; although some might have 

 been present from the first. I find solutions of sodic phosphate 

 throw down a flocculent precipitate after a time, and in those speci- 

 mens which Dr. Bastian was courteous enough to show me, I 

 observed that the object was surrounded by just such a precipitate, 

 which he called correctly enough granular matter. I suspect the 

 collection of such a flocculus around the fungus drew his attention 

 to the spot where the minute mass of fungus was. 



Another reason for not believing that the fruit-bearing stems of 

 Penicillium, which Dr. Bastian figures, were formed in the solu- 

 tions, is that these fungi never fructify in fluid. My friend Mr. M. 

 C. Cooke tells me that he never heard of any fungi, except such as 

 are parasites on insects, fructifying in fluid, or so long as a plentiful 

 supply of fluid is present. As he very forcibly put it, take the 

 vinegar plant as an example ; so long as there is plenty of fluid, it 

 never produces fruit ; but take it out of the fluid, and its surface 

 will soon be covered with blue mould. With regard to the so- 

 called spiral £bre organisms of Dr. Bastian, they have puzzled me 

 very much. I never, however, believe but that they were some very 

 common accidental material which had found its way into his solu- 

 tions. I observed that he only found these " organisms" in solutions 

 containing sodic phosphate. I have tested and had tested for me 

 three samples of crystals of this salt, and in all free soda was pre- 

 sent. I have since tried the action of very dilute solutions of 

 caustic alkali on various kinds of organic fibre, and have found wool 

 fibres, minute particles of feathers, and some kinds of spiders' 

 thread twist into spirals under its influence. Now, the spirals pro- 

 duced from spider's silk correspond most closely with Dr. Bastian's 

 spiral fibre. In my own mind I have no doubt the specimen he 

 kindly showed me was spider's silk. 



At any rate I do not think, in the face of this, we ought to 

 conclude that we have discovered spontaneous evolution from the 

 appearance of spirals in an alkaline solution. 



I apprehend then, sir, from what I have said, if my experiments 

 are confirmed, which can easily be done, that at present, let our 

 " philosophic faith be what it may," we have no evidence whatever 

 of spontaneous evolution. 



