THE BEGINmNGS OF LIFE. 



such phenomena would take place, as Pineau, Pouchet, 

 and others declared they had seen ? If it did not occur, 

 and others could be convinced of the truth of this, then 

 one oi the strong points in support of the doctrines of 

 the heterogenists would have been at once swept away. 

 And even if ova of these Infusoria had been found in 

 association with other matters filtered from the atmo- 

 sphere, we do not see how it could have seriously 

 aiFected the doctrines of the heterogenists, so long as 

 their statements concerning the mode of evolution of 

 these animals was capable of being verified. It would 

 soon have appeared probable to most who were capable 

 of forming a judgment upon the question, that the teem- 

 ing multitudes of ciliated Infusoria, which so rapidly 

 appear in organic solutions, were more likely to have 

 originated, in great part, after this established mode 

 of development, than to have been the offspring — 

 either by means of buds or fission — of two or three 

 solitary animalcules which may have dropped into the 

 solution in a dried condition ; or of two or three ova 

 that had accidentally obtained access to the infusion ^, 

 and which, after developing into organisms, may also 

 have multiplied by budding or fission. 



It would, undoubtedly, be altogether inconsistent 

 with known facts if we were to assume that such 

 teeming myriads of ciliated Infusoria as are frequently 



^ All the known ova or embryos of these ciliated Infusoria are much 

 too large to pass through the pores of ordinary blotting paper. So 

 that filtering the fluid ensures its freedom from such organisms, 

 VOL. II. U 



