458 THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



sediment, though the infusion had been quite free from 

 all deposit when placed in the digester. After this 

 tube was suspended in a warm place, as the others had 

 been, it remained in the same position till it was 

 taken down to be opened. A slight scum or pellicle, 

 which partially covered the surface, was observed on 

 the sixth day. During the succeeding days it did 

 not increase much in extent, though it became some- 

 what thicker. Although very great care was taken, 

 still the slight movement of the flask, occasioned in 

 knocking off its top, caused the pellicle to break up 

 and sink ] . 



The contents of the flask emitted a somewhat 

 fragrant odour of baked turnip, and the reaction of the 

 fluid was still slightly acid. On microscopical exami- 

 nation, a great deal of mere granular debris and irregular 

 masses of a brownish colour were found, and also a 

 very large number of dark, and apparently homogeneous 

 reddish-brown spherules, mostly varying in size from 

 TSW" to 2i)ih>o" in diameter, partly single and partly 

 in groups of various kinds. There were no distinct 

 Bacteria^ though in one of the drops examined there was 

 a delicate tailed-monad in active movement a speci- 

 men of Monas lens^ in fact, y^/' in diameter, having 



1 It was owing to the appearance of the pellicle and the seeming 

 likelihood of its breaking up and sinking to the bottom of the vessel, 

 as others had done, if allowed to remain, that I was induced to open this 

 tube so early. I thought it possible that nothing else might form after- 

 wards, and felt anxious to examine the pellicle before it became mixed 

 with the granular deposit. 



