Ixxx THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



spores, and on the other, the production of the sporangia 

 from the sarcode threads, which as regards structure and 

 movements might be described as colossal filamentary AmoebcB, 

 be established, it is an obvious conclusion that the latter arise 

 from the farther development of these AmoebcB. And this has 

 been confirmed by direct observation in jEthalium septicu?7i, 

 Zycogala, and Stemonitis obtiisata. . . . Direct development of 

 the fructifying threads from the Amoebae produced by the 

 growth of the Zoospores, appears to me beyond a doubt.' 



According to De Barry ^ also, one of the white rusts 

 {Cystopus Candidus) found on the cabbage, shepherd's-purse, 

 and other plants, develops ' conidia ' abundantly, which, 

 when placed in water, yield in from one and a half to three 

 hours a number of actively-moving, biciliated zoospores— pro- 

 duced by a differentiation of the contents of the ' conidia.' 

 After about two hours the cilia disappear, whilst the zoo- 

 spores come to a state of rest and assume a spherical form. 

 They have never been seen to develop into fungi. Similar 

 active zoospores have also been seen by De Barry to be 

 produced from the ' acrospores' of the potatoe and parsnip- 

 moulds. These also have never been seen to assume the 

 form of fungi. According to De Barry, the production of 

 such zoospores from the acrospores of the potatoe-mould 

 is favoured by the absence of light. 



Referring to these and kindred observations, the Rev. M. 

 J. Berkeley speaks in the following terms ^: — 'Few points 

 are of greater significance than those which touch upon the 

 intimate connection of animal and vegetable life. Fresh 

 matter is constantly turning up, most clearly indicating that 

 there are organisms in the vegetable kingdom which cannot be 

 distinguished from animals. The curious observations which 



1 • Ann. des Sc. Nat ^ 4 Ser, t. xx. (1865). 



^ 'Journ. of Microsc. Science,' Oct. 1868, p. 233. 



