42 THE NATURE OF LIFE 



gulfs a part of the filament which is then 

 softened by digestion and drawn into 

 the body of the ameba. The neighboring 

 portion then suffers the same fate and 

 this process is continued until the whole 

 has been drawn in and neatly coiled up 

 inside the body of the ameba. After 

 digestion has taken place the indigestible 

 skeleton is extruded. 



The reaction appears not only advan- 

 tageous but almost uncanny in its effi- 

 ciency. It seems to be the last word in 

 advantageous response. Such reactions 

 have led certain biologists to attribute 

 consciousness to these simple animals 

 and to endeavor to analyze their psychic 

 processes. In view of this it is very sig- 

 nificant to find that the whole process 

 can be perfectly imitated by non-living 

 materials. A drop of chloroform brought 

 into contact with a delicate glass filament 

 covered with sealing wax ingests the fil- 

 ament just as the ameba ingests the 

 food-plant. It softens the sealing wax, 

 bends the filament and draws it in, coil- 



