124 LIFE AND DEATH. 



complete separation of the Mago$phaera-c\\3, proves that their in- 

 dividuality has not been completely subordinated to that of the 

 whole colony, and it proves that the latter is not completely 

 individualised V 



Nothing- can be said against this, if we agree in identifying 

 death with the encystment of the Monoplastides. Now we could, 

 as Gotte rightly remarks, derive the lower forms of Polyplastides 

 from Magosphaera if ' the connection between the cells of the 

 ciliated sphere were retained until encystment, viz. until the re- 

 production of the single cells had taken place 2 .' After this had 

 been accomplished, Gotte considers that death would consist ' in the 

 complete separation of the cells from one another, accompanied in 

 all probability by their simultaneous change into germ-cells.' 

 The fallacy in this is evident ; if death is represented in one 

 case by the encystment during which single cells change into 

 germ-cells, then this must apply to the other case also, for nothing 

 has changed except the duration of the cell-colony. The nature 

 of encystment cannot be affected by the fact that the cells separate 

 from one another a little earlier or a little later. If it is true 

 that death is represented by encystment among the Monoplastides, 

 then the same conclusion must also hold for the Polyplastides ; or 

 rather death must be represented in them by the process of re- 

 juvenescence, which Gotte considers to be the essential part of 

 encystment. Gotte ought not to identify death with the dissolu- 

 tion of the cell-colony of which the lowest and highest Poly- 

 plastides are alike composed ; but he should seek it in the process 

 of rejuvenescence which takes place within the germ-cells. If it is 

 essential to the nature of reproduction that the cells set apart for 

 that purpose should pass through a process of rejuvenescence, which 

 is equivalent to death, then this must be true for the reproductive 

 cells of all organisms. If these conclusions hold good, there is 

 nothing to prevent us from assuming that such a process of rejuve- 

 nescence actually occurs in the higher animals. Gotte evidently 

 holds this view, as is plainly shown in the last pages of his essiy. 

 He there attempts to bring his views of the death and rejuve- 

 nescence of the germ into harmony with his previously developed 

 idea of the derivation of death among the Polyplastides from the 

 dissolution of the cell-colonies. Gotte still clings to the view 



1 1. c., p. 78. a 1. c., p. 47. 



