206 
Proceedings, and my remarks were not put into print; there- 
fore what I had seen was only known to the members present. 
The next evening the Microscopical Society had its meeting, 
and I again made public my observations, and to all there 
present they were new and startling. Hence I was induced 
to repeat my description with more detail at the Salem meet- 
ing of the American Association for the Advancement of 
Science in the following August. My engagements were 
such, however, that I was prevented from putting my obser- 
vations upon paper, and I did not endeavor to do so, as 
I understood that the Association could not provide for the 
colored plate which I considered nécessary for illustration. 
The consequence has been that they have remained unprinted 
up to the present time. Now I desire to have them recorded, 
the more especially as, from all I can learn, my observations 
are unique, or, at least, have not been seen and published 
by any oneelse. At the same time, I wish now to place upon 
record some further discoveries connected with the life- 
history of certain animal organisms of minute size which I 
consider of importance and throwing considerable light upon 
a rather obscure portion of Biology; namely the so-called 
subject of Spontaneous generation.” And I must say that 
I cannot but think that the use of this title, to designate the 
phenomena considered, is extremely inappropriate and had 
best be discarded, as it does not properly indicate what is 
meant and at the same time I am sure, often prejudices 
persons in advance against even considering the record of 
experiments or published deductions. A really more correct 
name to use would be that proposed by Prof. Huxley, of 
Abiogenesis, until the whole matter has had a fairer hearing 
than there is a desire to accord it in certain quarters’at the 
present time. Such plain and evidently truthful records as 
those of Pouchet and Bastian cannot be sneered aside by using 
the weight of any name, however worthy of honor and respect, 
and, whatever the deductions to be drawn therefrom, the 
spirit of fairness, which should always influence the acts and 
words of truly-scientific observers demands that no aspersions 
should be cast upon what they, or others working in a 
