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LIFE S BEGINNING ON THE EARTH 



acting salts, the combination of copper salt and yellow 

 prussiate being only one example. Outstanding for the 

 diversity and beauty of the structures it produces is the 

 combination of ordinary waterglass with any of the various 

 heavy metal salts. Waterglass, chemically known as sodium 

 silicate, is a thick slimy solution which is commonly used 

 for preserving eggs. Into this solution we place small 



Fig. 39. An Artificial Structure Grown from a "Seed" Which Is 

 Composed op Sugar and Copper Salt 



The "seed" is placed in a dilute solution of prussiate where it sprouts, 

 owing to the osmotic pressure of the sugar as it goes into solution. The 

 procedure is therefore the reverse of that described in Figure 37. 



pieces of different sails made from various metals, such as 

 copper, iron, nickel, cobalt, magnesium, and calcium. All 

 these different metallic salts form insoluble, slimy sub- 

 stances, capable of acting as a membrane, as soon as they 

 come into contact with the waterglass. Really beautiful 

 plants will grow, sonic of them having strikingly life-like 

 (lowers and buds of varying colors (Figs. 40 to 4(i). 



