464 



table kingdoms could be better defined by having regard to the nutri- 

 ment than by any other mode, animals requiring organized matter for 

 food, while vegetables flourish on inorganic matter, or else organic 

 matter in a state of decomposition. 



Mr. Bowerbank rose, not to oppose Dr. Carpenter's view, but to 

 ask some questions, in order to elicit further information. Was it an 

 established fact that there were cilia, or was their presence merely 

 inferred from the motion ? Was there any discharge of the contents 

 of the primordial cell, and, if so, was the contraction sudden or gra- 

 dual ? He had witnessed a similar appearance in the early cells of 

 some of the ferns, in which it was assumed, in consequence of the 

 sudden ejection of the contents ; and he appealed to Mr. Deane, who 

 had paid much attention to the development of the ferns in the earliest 

 stages. 



Mr. Deane stated that he conceived Mr. Bowerbank had misappre- 

 hended Dr. Carpenter's statement, as the stellate appearance in the 

 cells of the Volvox was owing to the dilatation of the outer integument, 

 in consequence of the formation of hyaline substance, while the ap- 

 pearance in the ferns was owing to the contraction of the inner mem- 

 brane. There was no doubt of the existence of cilia in the mature 

 Volvox. 



Mr. Shadbolt could speak distinctly as to the presence of cilia in 

 the Volvox. Although difficult to see while the creature was in mo- 

 tion, they could be readily observed by confining it, and still more so 

 by compressing and rupturing the sphere, by which means, at the 

 torn edges, they could even be counted. He was not yet prepared to 

 coincide with the vegetable view, and reminded Dr. Carpenter that 

 the automatic nature of the movements could not be considered as 

 any argument in favour of a vegetable theory, as it was precisely ana- 

 logous to the automatic retraction of the tentacula in the Bryozoa. 

 His chief objection, however, was that the Volvox presented a most 

 anomalous appearance when viewed as a perfect plant ; while the 

 idea of its being a sporangium could scarcely be maintained when 

 precisely similar individuals were formed by a species of reproduction. 

 He believed no instance was known of a seed producing a seed. 



Dr. Carpenter replied that certainly in the mosses an increase in 

 the seeds was produced by gemmation ; and this might be looked on 

 as a somewhat similar case. 



