Relation of Inorganic to Organic Bodies 57 



except at very high elevations, and at great depths in the 

 earth and sea. 



Ecologically they present striking and almost exactly parallel 

 phenomena as do the Protophycese. x\s regards temperature- 

 endurance Setchell (37: 936) has pointed out that in the Yellow- 

 stone geyser region, while the Protophycese do not seem to 

 be able to live and grow at a higher temperature than 75- 

 76° C, various bacteria thrive up to 81° and 83° C. We may 

 rest assured that, when a critical bacteriological investigation 

 has been made of the chalybeate, the warm marsh, and the 

 moist decaying vegetation areas of the world, rich scientific 

 results will be secured. Here again then we would consider 

 that these hydrothermal species still exist amid environal 

 conditions like those of their primitive ancestors, which also 

 represented the primitive organisms of the world. 



But in the worldwide group of the "thermophilic bacteria" 

 (B. thermophilus, etc.) that occur in manures, amid fermenting 

 and putrefying plants, sewage channels, and even in the ali- 

 mentary canal of animals, we have a physiological series that 

 flourish at 55-75° or even 80° C. Their entire life history 

 suggests strongly that they were originally hydrothermal types 

 which have often become adapted to cooler environment, while 

 retaining adaptability still for higirtemperatures. The rounded 

 spore cells also of these and of many other bacteria exhibit 

 a degree of vitality against heat injury that is perhaps unex- 

 celled by any other group. For not a few can successfully 

 resist boiling for some time, and equally resist a cold state of 

 — 200° C. Here, therefore, are organisms that during one 

 stage at least in their continuous existence can resist a tem- 

 perature range of at least 300° C. So Chodat's observation 

 seems amply justified: "Les forces qui les mettent en jeu 

 peuvent etre des forces tout physiques." 



Every believer then in evolution-continuity will readily 

 accept that the pure rich protoplasm of primitive simj)le plants, 

 as of their living descendants, has had and still unquestionably 

 has a labile potentiality that we seldom credit it with. This 

 we believe to be in marked contrast to nucleated protoplasm, 

 when actively vegetating, as will be pointed out later. 



