150 VITALISM AND SCHOLASTICISM 



picks up the finer grains and puts them to- 

 gether with the same cement into perfectly 

 spherical tests of the most extraordinary finish, 

 perforated with numerous small pores disposed 

 at pretty regular intervals. Another species 

 selects the minutest sand-grains and the ter- 

 minal portions of sponge-spicules, and works 

 them up together apparently with no cement 

 at all, but by the mere laying of the spicules 

 into perfect white spheres like homoeopathic 

 globules, each showing a single-fissured orifice. 

 And another which makes a straight, many- 

 chambered test, the conical mouth of each 

 chamber projecting into the cavity of the next, 

 while forming the walls of its chambers of 

 ordinary sand grains rather loosely held to- 

 gether, shapes the conical mouths of the 

 chambers by firmly cementing together the 

 quartz grains which border it." 



Well may the writer just quoted add the 

 remark : " There is nothing more wonderful 

 in nature than the building up of these 

 elaborate and symmetrical structures by mere 

 jelly-specks, presenting no traces whatever of 

 that definite organisation which we are accus- 

 tomed to regard as necessary to the manifesta- 

 tions of conscious life." 



In this variety of construction and in this 

 choice of materials it is hard not to see purpose. 



