ON THE STRUCTURE OF OSCILLATORI^E. 259 



external phj/sical force. Such inferences, I admit, are not 

 warranted by a superficial observation of external appearances, 

 but if we penetrate deeper into the idea of life, and look for 

 the cause of spontaneity and the proper sphere of activity of 

 every individual living being, we are forced to attribute to 

 every organism, possessing the general properties of life, an 

 animative principle {un j}rinrApe animique), which is the cause 

 of the phenomena of life ; though this internal activity of a 

 being is not always immediately visible to the eye, still all 

 appearances, as expressions of its individual existence, prove 

 it to be so, and for that reason we must vindicate also for 

 plants a kind of soul,* however great the difference may be 

 which exists between it and the soul of an animal. Now, if 

 we must admit once that certain plants are endowed with the 

 power of motion, we must also admit that the determining 

 cause of such motions must reside or be sought for icitliin 

 the plant itself ; this would be conceding a kind of sponta- 

 neity, however limited its degree, agreeably to the narrow 

 sphere of activity characteristic of vegetable life. 



This is not the place to enter more fully into these matters, 

 but I think I have said enough to bear out my assertion, 

 that the present state of our knowledge on these questions 

 is far from satisfactory, and I will conclude with refer- 

 ring to what, in my opinion, is calculated to retard in some 

 measure the progress of a sound vegetable physiology. I 

 mean the orthodox notions of certain eminent professors, and 

 with others a kind of fear of detracting from the dignity of the 

 genus homo, by being too liberal in acknowledging sundry 

 attributes in such inferior things as plants, &c. The latter 

 class we can pass by in silence, of the former we will give an 

 instance. If we descend the scale of creation we come at last 

 to a class of beings which are almost in a state of indifference, 

 that is to say, the prominent distinguishing features of each of 

 the two great classes of organized living beings disappear. | 

 Now to admit such a status indifferentia, as a common starting 

 point from which a progressive development in both directions 



* Those of my readers who feel incUned to cry out " risura teneat/s,'"' 

 I would refer to men Uke Darwin, Treviranus, Cams, and other equally 

 distinguished men of science, who hold these opinions ; see Dr. Ahrens, 

 ' Coiirs de Psycliologie.'' 



f This is not only true as regards the two great classes of organized 

 beings, but in some respects also as regards the sub-classes of each ; thus, 

 to give but one instance : it is still a debateable question if the Lepidosiren 

 2'>arado.va, or Protopterus annectens, belong to the class of Fishes or to 

 that of Amphibia ; it possesses gills and lungs, in addition to fish-scales. 

 Mr. Owen and Dr. Peters of Berlin contend for the former, Mr, Fitzinger 

 and Professor Bischoff for the latter supposition. 



