82 JOURNAL OF THE [March, 



of decomposing matter, by large numbers, the matter was in 

 half an hour visibly reduced in size. " No sight accessible to 

 the human eye," said Dr. Dallinger, "can be more fascinating 

 or more beautiful than this. A field of 50 or even 100 may be 

 observed with ease pursuing their untiring work. It is the more 

 entrancing that it is apparently rhythmic, not like the measured 

 march of a regiment, but the rhythmic movement of a peal of 

 bells." The analysis of this movement and its results was most 

 difficult because of the incessant change of position of the or- 

 ganisms. The mode of ordinary multiplication by fission also 

 presented features of great interest, owing to the problem of the 

 formation of the new and numerous flagella. For a long period 

 it was found impossible to observe any sexual form of multipli- 

 cation ; but unwearied diligence at last succeeded after three 

 years' work. A kind of fusion of two individuals occurred, one 

 of the individuals gradually contracting its flagella, losing its 

 characteristic shape, and becoming ultimately absorbed in the 

 other, which all the while, strange to say, continued swimming 

 with full vigor. After complete union had taken place, the 

 movement was much slower, and the body broke up rapidly into 

 very minute portions, in the course of from four to five hours, 

 the motion of the whole organism being still active. Then, as 

 it swam, it was seen to be dropping from it a stream of granules, 

 the spores, and these being continuously watched, were seen to 

 grow up into the likeness of the parent form, and shortly after 

 to multiply by the old process of fisbion. Thus, should drying 

 of the fluid take place, a multitudinous supply of the minutest 

 germs, able to resist high temperatures, would become dissemi- 

 nated in the atmosphere, each capable of reproducing the whole 

 series of changes. 



Dr. Carpenter, C. B., said that the pleasing duty had been 

 assigned to him of moving a vote of thanks to their excellent and 

 highly esteemed President for the very admirable and interest- 

 ing address to which they had just listened. He began, as they 

 were aware, by giving them a summary of the doctrines of Abio- 

 genesis and Biogenesis ; but there was one omission in his re- 

 marks, due, no doubt, to his modesty, but which ought not to be 

 omitted, and that was that there was no class of facts which had 

 contributed so much to the settlement of some of these important 

 questions as the researches which their President himself had 



