11 
vegetable world, so that the name of ‘Zoophytes’ or plant-like 
animals is a very appropriate one. As an example we may 
instance the Zoophyte Eudendrium: this has a branching stem of 
chitonous matter having a pulp consisting of moving granules, 
very similar in their movements to the granules in Nitella. This 
stem forms a root or attachment by a root, and at first grows in a 
plant-like manner. After atime it produces Calycles or Hydro- 
thecce, and from these the Zooids are produced which capture their 
prey by their tentacular arms. 
Muscular action is associated with a nervous system, whereby 
sensation is conveyed to the muscles to set them in motion. 
On feeding Vorticella and other animalcules with carmine 
Dugardin, found that the food particles after their reception at the 
oral aperture, were not retained in definite stomach sacculi, but 
that after aggregating into spherical masses, they passed into the 
sarcode till digested or rejected by the anal aperture. 
Siebold, in 1845, enunciated the theory that the represen- 
tatives of the Infusoria were unicellular organisms, each separate 
animalcule possessing the value of a simple cell, and being 
homologous with an ordinary cell-nucleus while the contractile 
spaces possess a circulatory function. The simple sarcodic nature 
was recognised, and all the organisms possessing such a simple 
structure were classed together under the title of Protozoa, and 
then subdivided into Rhizopoda and Infusoria. 
In the highly organised plant, we notice some of those charac- 
teristics which we associate with animals, such as the unfolding of 
petals at certain times of the day, the movements of the sensitive 
plants, the folding of the leaves at night, and such like. 
In chemical composition there is nothing by which we 
can absolutely distinguish animals from plants. Nitrogen is a 
constituent of most plants being most abundant in the seed, and it 
enters largely into the composition of Fungi. The essential con- 
stituents of Plants are Cellulose and Protoplasm. Cellulose is 
composed of Oxygen, Hydrogen and Carbon; Protoplasm of the 
same with Nitrogen and Sulphur. As regards the test that 
animals give out Carbonic Acid, while plants give out Oxygen, we 
find that in the absence of light, plants give off Carbonic Acid, 
and many of the Infusoria, presumably animals, give off Oxygen 
in the presence of light. Chlorophyll is the active agent in 
absorbing the Carbon and giving out Oxygen. In the fungi, 
Chlorophyll is absent, and they appear to have no power of 
assimilating organic food. 
Thus we see, that the characteristics set down at the begin- 
ning of this paper, will not afford any satisfactory distinction 
between animal and vegetable. 
With regard to the nervous system and complex structure which — 
