H. W. KING ON AMCEB^. 417 



In its gliding movements this Amoeba passes by certain organic 

 matters, altbougli coming in contact with them, even particular 

 diatoms known to be absorbed by Amoebae, while other diatoms, 

 other life, perhaps differently constituted, differently formed, are 

 readily absorbed by the Amceba in question and digested in the 

 endosarc, the remains being expelled when required by the organism, 

 at the most convenient part. If the absorption was merely a 

 physical absorption or physical attraction we should expect to 

 observe any and all matters taken into the protoplasm without an 

 exemplification of indifference to this matter or tliat matter for 

 food. On the other hand these and other numerous attributes of 

 the protoplasms of Amcebee seem very much like sentient selective 

 attributes, and yet we find similar actions proceeding in the absor- 

 bent cells of plants, in the absorbent cells in the higher animals, 

 where specialized cells absorb not only that kind of nutriment 

 most conducive to their individual well-being, but select and pass 

 to different cells matter which the selective absorbent cells do not 

 require, as if there was an attraction through the community of 

 cells influencing special absorption.* 



As with these, so with the protoplasms of Amoebae ; each seems 

 to have its specialized attributes, although in mingling circulation 

 with the others, as individualized cells have either isolated or in 

 community, and each protoplasm of Amoebee is itself, with its 

 attributes, individually amenable to influences governing adapta- 

 tion, form, and habit, implying every isolated habit was an 

 unconscious growth. It seems every form of protoplasm of 

 Anioebee may acquire special habits of growth and of action, as 

 the result of a different stimulus on susceptibility to vary existing 

 form and action, as note the different conditions in which Amoeba3 

 are found, and the different nctions of the protoplasm of like kinds 

 under such differing circumstances evolving habits that become 



* Dr. Burden Saudereon, or Food Attraction, says, "Just as the dog-fish 

 is attracted by food it cannot see, so the plasmodium of Badbamia became 

 aware as if it smelled it, of the presence of its food, a particular fungus, 

 and towards this centre streams of living material converge, soon the afiflux 

 leads to an outgrowth of the plasmodiutr, which in a few minutes advances 

 towards the desired fragment, envelops and incorporates it." — " Briii:>h Med. 

 Journal," p. 616, Vol. ii., 1893. "Chemiotaxis is the term applied to this 

 gathering together, like that of vultures to a carcasF, cf thf se migratory- 

 cells, which have their home in the blood stream, aud in the lymphatic 

 system, to any point in the living tissue of the body injured, as if the pro- 

 ducts of disintegration which aie there set free were attractive to them," 

 ^Ibid., 616. 



