THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 181 



of the cell are seen to be in constant motion. . . . While 

 this is going on the end of the cell continues to grow, and 

 at the same time the contents collect at the extremity, 

 and distend it into a small head, in form resembling a 

 club, immediately after which a chamber is formed and 

 then the first stage of fructification is established. The 

 next change is observed to take place in the granular 

 matter of the club-head, which itself enlarges, whilst 

 the contents gain opaqueness, and by degrees arrange 

 themselves in five or six-sided meshes, which are in 

 reality the sides of angular bodies that are rapidly form- 

 ing at the expense of the mucilage above mentioned, 

 which has disappeared. It is not the least surprising 

 part of this history that all the changes above men- 

 tioned take place in the course of an hour or an hour and 

 a half, so that a patient observer may actually witness 

 the creation of this singular plant. At this time all 

 the vital energy seems directed towards changing the 

 angular bodies in the inside of the club-head into pro- 

 pagating germs or spores. Meanwhile the club-head 

 grows, and gives them a little room, and they in their 

 turn alter their form and become oval. Then it is that 

 is witnessed the surprising phenomenon of spontaneous 

 motion in the spores, which, notwithstanding the nar- 

 row space in which they are born, act with such vigour 

 that at last they force a way through the end of the 

 club-head. At first one spore gets out into the water, 

 then another and another, till at last the club-head is 

 emptied. All this takes place with such .rapidity that 



