8 THE FRESH-WATER 



" Was there a need of adding any additional proof 

 of the vegetability of tlie Corallines, an experiment 

 now before me would seem to supply it. It is now 

 eight weeks ago since I placed in a small glass jar, 

 containing about six ounces of pm-e sea-water, a tuft 

 of the living CoralUna officinalis, to which were at- 

 tached two or three minute Confervce, and the very 

 young frond of a green Ulva; while numerous Rissoce, 

 several little Mussels and Annelides, and a Star-fish 

 were crawling amid the branches. The jar was placed 

 on a table, and was seldom disturbed, though occa- 

 sionally looked at; and at the end of four weeks, 

 the water was found to be still pm-e, the Mollusca and 

 other animals all alive and active, the confervas had 

 grown perceptibly, and the coralline itself had thrown 

 out some new shoots, and several additional articula- 

 tions. Eight weeks have now elapsed since the experi- 

 ment was begun, — the water has remained unchanged, 

 — yet the coralline is gi'owing, and apparently has 

 lost none of its vitality ; but the animals have sen- 

 sibly decreased in numbers, though many of them 

 continue to be active, and show no dislike to their 

 situation. What can be more conclusive? I need 

 not say that if any animal, or even a sponge, had 

 been so confined, the water would long before this 

 time have been deprived of its oxygen, would have 

 become con*upt and ammoniacal, and poisonous to 

 the life of every living thing." * 



On the 4th of March, 1850, at a meeting of the 

 Chemical Society, Mr. Eobert Warington communi- 



*0p. cit.; p. 215. 



