396 Scientific Intelligence Zoology. 



in the hydropolypi, or in the mutilated limacons, or even in the 

 salamanders. This singular mutilation, this death, affects only 

 those parts which are not necessary to the exercise of life. It is 

 the exercise of the functions of the root, where there is an ab- 

 sence of all the organs of the roots of plants. 



1 4. On the Distinctive Characters between Plants and Animals. 

 M. Ehrenberg also communicated the following note upon 

 the power of division, as a distinctive character, between equivo- 

 cal plants and animals: "Every animal which can be subject- 

 ed to examination is distinguished from every plant by being a 

 homogeneous compact whole of organic systems ; but all animals 

 cannot easily be subjected to examination, and hence there are 

 forms which still remain doubtful and problematical. The in- 

 troduction of solid aliment into internal cavities is a character 

 which is very extensively possessed by animals ; but all animal 

 matters are not perceptible to the eye ; many animals obtain 

 their nourishment from substances which are transparent, colour- 

 less, and gelatinous, such as happens in the case of entozoarise 

 and many of the infusoria?. There are even fishes which we 

 can never discover seizing their prey, although, like others, they 

 are possessed of a mouth and intestinal canal. It is for such 

 varieties of animal life as these that the naturalist requires an- 

 other distinguishing character. I do not know either a plant, 

 or any portion of a plant, not even a cell of the cellular tissue, 

 which, in growing, divides itself. The development of all plants 

 is always made by their lengthening themselves, and by the for- 

 mation of a bud. True vegetables do not exhibit in any 

 part of their organization the power of spontaneous division 

 (dicothomaire) ; whilst, on the contrary, this power is a method 

 of reproduction which is common in many beings which very 

 conspicuously possess all the characters of animal life. The 

 whole class of somatomes (naidina), as also that of corals (an- 

 thozoa), of turbinated worms (turbellaria), and of the polygas- 

 trica, are distinguished by a generation which proceeds both 

 from an egg (ovule) and a bud. Struck with this additional 

 character, it occurred to me that I ought to employ it in ascer- 

 taining that the great family of the bacillaria?, which still re- 

 mains doubtful, does not belong to the vegetable world, or 

 should not be considered as forming an intermediate series ; and 



