20 The Mycetozoa, and 



POWEKS OF PROTOPLASM. What are the powers with 

 which the simple naked protoplasm of the Myxomycetes 

 is found to be endowed ? It is endowed with 



(a) The power of motion ; 



(6) The power of seizing and digesting food ; 



(c) A capacity for excreting what is not suited for 



retention by the organism ; 



(d) A capacity to perform chemical work ; 



( e) A capacity to assume and change colour ; 



(/) The power of attracting and being attracted by 

 and uniting with other protoplasm of the same 

 species ; 

 (g) A converse power of avoiding the protoplasm of 



other species ; 

 (/(.) A power to assume a definite external shape, and 



to divide into spores and non-spores ; 

 (i) A capacity to enter into a state of suspended 



vitality. 



" Life never can arise out of or depend on organization," 

 wrote John Hunter; and unless naked protoplasm be 

 regarded as organized, his remark seems to be verified 

 and proved past dispute. 



Let us consider some of these faculties more in detail. 

 MOTION. The motions exhibited by the protoplasm of 

 myxies are of the most varied kind. We have already 

 mentioned the jumping motion of the swarm spores and 

 the crawling action of the plasmodium : now we will ask our 

 readers to turn again to Fig. 4, and to allow us to describe 

 what is seen in a crawling plasmodium under a microscope. 



