The Life of the Bee 



consciousness, beyond the protozoa even, 

 which are the first nebulous representatives 

 of the dawning animal kingdom, we find, 

 as has been abundantly proved by the ex- 

 periments of Mr. H. J. Carter, the cele- 

 brated microscopist, that the very lowest 

 embryos, such as the myxomycetes, mani- 

 fest a will and desires and preferences \ 

 and that infusoria, which apparently have 

 no organism whatever, give evidence of a 

 certain cunning. The Amcsbas, for in- 

 stance, will patiently lie in wait for the 

 new-born Acinetes, as they leave the ma- 

 ternal ovary ; being aware that these must 

 as yet be lacking their poisonous tentacles. 

 Now, the Amoebae have neither a nervous 

 system nor distinguishable organs of anM 

 kind. Or if we turn to the plants, which, 

 being motionless, would seem exposed to 

 every fatality, — without pausing to con- 

 sider carnivorous species like the Drusera, 

 which really act as animals, — we are struck 



284 



