THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 4x5 



placed a few filaments of Vaucheria in a watch-glass 

 protected by an inverted wine-glass, I founds two or 

 three days afterwards, that a thin scum had formed upon 

 the surface of the fluid ^. On microscopical examination, 

 the most notable constituents of the scum were certain 

 mxOtionless, green corpuscles, varying from -^-q' to -^\i^' 

 in diameter, and containing ovoid chlorophyll vesicles 

 (Fig. ^2jf), These bodies were evidently undergoing 

 transformations in different directions. Many of the 

 smaller corpuscles were becoming decolourized, and 

 were protruding rays so as to convert themselves 

 (as the Nitella vesicles had done) into specimens of 

 Actinophrys, which subsequently assumed the forms of 

 Monads or Amoebse. Some of the larger corpuscles, 

 however, gradually decolourized, so as to undergo higher 

 transformations, in a manner which will be subse- 

 quently detailed^. In other smaller corpuscles the 

 vesicular contents, instead of fusing and becoming 

 decolourized, underwent an extra amount of indivi- 

 dualization. The chlorophyll vesicles increased in size 

 and became of a slightly brighter green, whilst the thin 

 investing membrane seemed gradually to dissolve away, 

 leaving bright green, rounded or ovoidal corpuscles, 

 about sw^'' in diameter [g g)^ which subsequently 



^ These corpuscles seemed to grow first upon the surface of the 

 Vaucheria filaments. 



"^ Leading very frequently to the production of Vorticellse. Cor- 

 puscles given off from other Algse have been observed to go through 

 similar transformations. 



