THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 223 



quite motionless and spherical, which were densely 

 packed with minute particles throughout their whole 

 substance — these particles being motionless and less than 

 TO oVoo'^ in diameter. In many of such Amoebse a clear 

 vacuole was still to be seen. In other organisms the 

 particles were of a slightly larger size, and owing to the 

 protoplasmic substance in which they had been produced 

 having become fluid, these particles were to be seen 

 in active movement within an attenuated film which 

 constituted the outer layer of the old organism whose 

 nucleus was still visible. When reduced to this con- 

 dition, trembling movements of the whole mass were 

 seen, owing to the combined agitations produced by the 

 contained units. Soon the attenuated outer membrane 

 gave way, and as the contained units were liberated, 

 they at once exhibited very active movements of pro- 

 gression, after the fashion of minute Bacteria. The sur- 

 rounding fluid was, in fact, crowded with similarly minute 

 and active Bacteria^ and with others slightly larger, which 

 had evidently been produced in this manner. 



Such was the fate that overtook those Amcebse which 

 lived latest in the solution. Changes of an unhealthy 

 nature seemed to have been so suddenly induced that 

 the organisms did not possess sufficient energy even to 

 undergo the process of encystment. Their own mole- 

 cular movements (those which pertain to the ordinary 

 life of the Amoebse) being so languid, other retrograde 

 changes were initiated, leading to the birth of new 

 particles throughout their substance. Bacteria^ in fact. 



