198 THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE, 



an infusion of hay on the fourth day, and they were 

 then about the same size or even smaller than those 

 mentioned by Pineau. On the sixth day they were 

 somewhat larger (2-5WO — ^"^^^ displaying " a tail and 

 well-marked tremulous movements, whilst it exhibited 

 in its interior, besides the usual small granules, a trans- 

 parent vesicle about -90V0'' i^ diameter. On the seventh 

 day they had all detached themselves from one another 

 and from the pellicle, they had increased somewhat in 

 size, and had changed their spherical for a more or less 

 distinctly ovoidal form. 



These" observations, so far as they go, are similar in 

 many respects to my own ; but before dwelling upon 

 them further, I will again describe some of my obser- 

 vations which were published in I87o^ These were 

 made, during the previous winter months, upon the 

 ' proligerous pellicles ' that formed on two or three hay 

 infusions which had been prepared with hot water 2. 



In a pellicle which previously presented a uniform 

 appearance, certain areas, altogether irregular in size 

 and shape, but always presenting outlines bounded by 

 curved lines, gradually made their appearance. These 

 were at first distinguishable from the general ground- 

 work of the pellicle only by their somewhat lighter 

 aspect. On careful microscopical examination with 

 high powers, it was seen that the boundary of such an 

 area — measuring perhaps as much, or more than -5^" 



^ In ♦ Nature,' No. 35. 



2 At a temperature of 140° — i6o°F. 



