464 THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



bodies having doubly-contoured walls, which were also 

 similar to those of the last solution. 



'Experiment y. A solution containing an unweighed 

 quantity of ammonic tartrate and sodic phosphate in 

 distilled water. 



The solution in this tube was at first quite colourless, 

 clear, and free from visible deposit. About the fifth 

 or sixth day, however, after it had been suspended in 

 a warm place, a number of small, pale, bluish-white 

 flocculi made their appearance throughout the solution, 

 and continued always in the same situation except 

 when the fluid was shaken, owing apparently to their 

 specific weight being the same as that of the fluid 

 itself. The contents of the tube were repeatedly 

 scanned with the greatest care with the aid of a lens, 

 though nothing else could be seen until about the 

 expiration of a month. Then there was observed, 

 attached to one of the flocculi, about " from the 

 bottom of the vessel, a small, opaque, whitish speck, 

 scarcely bigger than a pin's point. This seemed to 

 increase very slowly in size for the next three or four 

 weeks, and then another smaller mass was also per- 

 ceived. At the expiration of this time the larger mass 

 was more than |" in diameter. Both could be, and 

 were, seen by several people with the naked eye. 

 During the three weeks immediately preceding the 

 opening of the flask, it was often remarked that the 

 mass did not appear to have undergone any increase 

 in size. 



