THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 119 



condition. The external form is quite irregular, con- 

 tinually changing, globularly contracted when at rest. 

 Our sharpest discrimination can detect no trace of an 

 internal structure, or of a formation from dissimilar 

 parts. As the homogeneous albuminous mass of the 

 body of the Moner does not even exhibit a differen- 

 tiation into an inner nucleus and an outer plasma, 

 and as, moreover, the whole body consists of a homo- 



FIG. 3. Representatives of Haeckel's group Monera. 



a. Most minute specks of protoplasm from fine surface mud of fresh- 



water ponds, Hendon. ( X 800.) 



b. Prot amoeba primitiva (Haeckel). Two individuals resulting from 



a recent fission. 



c. Vampyrella pendula (Cienkowski). 



d. Amoeba porrecta (Max Schultze). This is really a Protamceba. 



e. Protomyxa aurantiaca (Haeckel) developed into a ' plasmodium/ either 



from the simple increase of a single amreba-like germ or by the 

 union of several originally distinct individuals. A devoured Isthmia 

 and a Navicula are visible in the homogeneous parenchyma of the 

 sarcode ; also numerous vacuoles. (6, c, d, and e x 220.) 



geneous plasma, or protoplasma, the organic matter 

 here does not even reach the importance of the simplest 



