142 FORMATION OF SHELLS OF ANIMALS, ETC., 
diagram by the lettera. Next to these are the globules 
still somewhat compressed, but yet very much distended, 
shown by the letter 6. Before the absorption of water 
by these particles they were apparently empty, and the 
walls of the contiguous ones being then in contact, the 
transverse marking, before described, was produced. Still, 
nearer the centre of the lens, the transverse lines re- 
main; the sides of these globules having become adherent, 
and consequently their cavities obliterated. (See letter 
c.) And, lastly, again, nearer to the centre, all appear- 
ance of lines, both transverse and longitudinal, has disap- 
peared, and the structure is entirely homogeneous. This 
part is not represented in the accompanying figure. 
During the further distension of these globules the trans- 
verse lines in some of the rows can be seen gradually to 
disappear, and then these rows of compressed globules 
assume the appearance of tubes with bulbous extremities. 
It as this appearance which probably led Koélliker to 
describe the ‘fibres of the lens as tubes, having thi 
walls, which are flexible and soft, and possessed of a con- 
siderable degree of toughness, with clear, viscous, albu- 
minous contents, which, when the tubes are torn, escape 
from them in the form of large irregular drops.” This is 
just the appearance presented in the figure at a. Now, 
as my own observations do not in the least agree with the 
opiion expressed by Professor Kolliker, concerning the 
origin of this albuminous fiuid, and the tubular character 
of the fibres of the lens, and as these are points of great 
importance in respect to the mode of its formation, I 
cannot do less than give my reasons for differing from 
so high an authority. Now, as this same clear, viscous 
oily-looking fluid, although im smaller globules, is visible 
through the capsule of the lens, and before it has become 
