VORTICELL^. 19 



fibres with a needle, and adding a drop of water. 

 The cover is then gently pressed down, and the 

 whole placed on the stage of the microscope, to 

 be examined with a power of about sixty. A light 

 is thrown somewhat obliquely by the mirror through 

 the object, the focus adjusted, and a beautiful sight 

 rewards the pains. Our mass of conferva turns 

 out to contain one of the most elegant species. 

 Fine hair-like tubes of an organic material, as 

 transparent as glass, are divided by partitions of 

 the same substance into cylindrical cells, through 

 which a slender ribbon of emerald green, spangled 

 at intervals with small round expansions, is spirally 

 wound. We shall call it the Spiral Conferva, its 

 scientific name being Spirogyra quinina. Some 

 other species, though less elegantly adorned, make 

 a pleasing variety in the microscopic scene; and 

 appended to some of the threads is a group of 

 small crystal bells, which jerk up and down upon 

 spirally twisted stalks. These are the '^Bell Flower 

 Animalcules" of old observers, the Vorticellw^ or 

 Little Vortex-makers of the present day. Other 

 small creatures flit about with lively motions, and 

 among them we observe a number of green spindles 

 that continually change their shape, while an odd- 

 looking thing crawls about, after the manner of 

 certain caterpillars, by bringing his head and tail 

 together, shoving himself on a step, and then re- 



