130 INSECT TRANSFORMATIONS. 



tions, in which he remarks, that c as the phenomena in 

 question appear to contradict certain principles admit- 

 ted into the reigning systems, we often prefer rather 

 to deny the conclusions of candid and experienced 

 observers, than to receive what has hitherto been re- 



farded as untenable by generally admitted authority 

 n this situation are placed all observations upon the 

 transition or metamorphosis of vegetable life (charac- 

 terised by immobility) into animal lite (characterised 

 by mobility); the moment when a being, arrived at 

 the period of its existence, continues itself, as it were, 

 by a new creation, and the animated embryo develops 

 itself into a motionless vegetable.'* Agardh, in his 

 account of another allied family (Ocillatoriaz), has 

 even given figures, first of the plant, and then of the 

 animalcules into which its filaments are converted,")* 

 which induced Bory St Vincent to remark sarcasti- 

 cally, that 4 all nature appears, to the Professor of 

 Lund, to be nothing but confervce travestied. 'J 



Passing over what has been published on this 

 strange doctrine by Vaucher, Girod-Chantrans, Tre- 

 viranus, Cams, and others, we shall only stop to 

 mention the more recent observations of Francis 

 Unger. The plant he selected was the Conferva 

 dilatata ft of Roth. < Within the space of one hour,' 

 says he, ' I succeeded in tracing, not only the dimi- 

 nution of vitality and death of the animalcules, but 

 also the subsequent development of the dead animals 

 into germinating plants, in such a manner as to 

 establish the truth of the fact.' He adds with great 

 simplicity, ' I could scarcely believe ray own eyes.' 

 Like Agardh, he has given figures of these miracu 



* Quoted in ' Annales des Sciences Naturelles' for 1828, 



t Agardh, Icones Alg. ined- i, 10. 



J Diet. Classique d'Hist. Nat., x, 469. 



Annales des Sciences Nat., 1828, 



