OP NEW SOUTH WALES. 411 



" thetical water neivts, or salamanders ; these salamanders from 

 " hypothetical perrenni-brancliiate batrachians, like the proteus or 

 " axolotl ; these perenni-branchiates from hypothetical fishes, like 

 " the Lepido-siren ; these double-breathing fishes, from hypo- 

 " thetical fishes of the sliark-tribe ; these proto-fishes from 

 " hypothetical lampreys ; these cyclostomata from hypothetical 

 " Amphioxi or Launcelets, which lowest of vertebrate animals 

 " again were evolved from a hypothetical form of Ascidian mollusc 

 " or worm, low in the scale of invertebrate animals ; these asci- 

 " dian worms from hypothetical- soft or cavitary worms ; these from 

 " hypothetical solid worms ; these from hypothetical Gastrceada ; 

 " these from hypothetical Planceada ; these from hypothetical 

 " Lynamcebia, consisting of a community of homogeneous cells; these 

 " protozoa from hypothetical single-cell animals ; and these, lastly, 

 " from hypothetical spontaneously generated cytodes." 



But the settlement of such a question as that of spontaneous 

 generation is a matter of much more importance to the world at 

 large than the most ingenious speculations upon subjects of which 

 we know nothing, and are never likely to know much. 



The chief scientific discovery of the year is the entire disproval 

 of the doctrine. 



Eor a number of years past Dr. Bastian has been conducting a 

 series of experiments, which satisfied him that generation of low 

 organisms could take place in infusions not exposed to the air, and 

 in which all living organisms had been destroyed by heat. 



Consequent on the results of these experiments, the doctrine of 

 spontaneous generation and heterogenesis grew in strength, and 

 even eminent scientific men were reluctantly compelled to a silent 

 acquiescence, because they could not in any way dispute the 

 apparent facts. 



Another reason, no doubt, why such a doctrine readily found 

 supporters and well-wishers, was, that it completely chimed in with 

 the popular chimera of Evolution. The difficulty presented to 



