12 MICROSCOPICAL OBJECTS FOUND 



there is little doubt but that the botanists are 

 right. The advocates of their animal nature have 

 laid great stress upon their (supposed) powers of 

 locomotion ; the admission of indigo into their 

 interior ; their increase by self-division ; the 

 contractility of their lining membrane on the 

 application of certain reagents ; and on the 

 assumed absence of starch from their interior. 



None of these reasons appear sufficient to esta- 

 blish the point, even did they all exist. Loco- 

 motion is certainly not peculiar to the animal 

 kingdom : the spores of many undoubted Con- 

 fervse commence their active and restless move- 

 ments before they leave the cells of the parent 

 plant. After they escape, Mr. Hassal observes, 

 "they fall into the water, through which they 

 speedily begin to move hither and thither ; now 

 progressing in a straight line, with the rostra 

 in advance — now wheeling round and pursuing 



of Staurastrum mucronatum, collected by my enthusiastic 

 friend Mr. Ralfs, which cannot possibly be distinguished, so 

 far as form is concerned, from many specimens of Xanthidium 

 ramosum, so common in chalk flints. Notwithstanding this, 

 however, my present conviction is, that the Xanthidia will 

 prove to be spores or gemmules of some of the lower animals, 

 — Polypifera or Porifera. 



