

EXPERIMENTS WITH SALINE SOLUTIONS 241 
pure silica in distilled water, and the way in which 
they may be artificially fossilised.” 
I then added the following details concerning a 
few experiments of my own with solutions con- 
taining silicate of soda :— 
“Tn an experiment in which about ten minims of the weak 
solution of iron pernitrate and seven of sodic silicate solution 
were added to an ounce of distilled water, the fluid was boiled for 
fifteen minutes, and the neck of the flask was then hermetically 
sealed during ebullition. Some semi-gelatinous, reddish-yellow 
flakes were deposited during the ebullition. The vacuum being 
still well preserved, the flask was opened on the 35th day, when 
the reaction of the fluid was also found to be still slightly acid. 
On one of the above-mentioned flakes there was found a minute 
whitish mass about the size of a small pin’s head, which, on 
examination, was seen to consist of a mycelial tuft, having small 
but perfect filaments, though without any trace of fructification. 
The filaments themselves were about ;sj9, in diameter, but 
varied slightly in size, and contained a minutely granular proto- 
plasm without dissepiments. The numerous branches came off 
at right angles, and the whole organism had all the appearance 
of being a living fungus.” 
“The other silicate solutions in which organisms have been 
encountered were quite different in composition. They have 
been prepared by adding to one ounce of distilled water three 
grains of ammonic phosphate and about eight minims of sodic 
silicate solution. Such a mixture always had a slightly alkaline 
reaction, and it was sometimes used in this condition and some- 
times after it had been rendered neutral or very slightly acid by 
the addition of a few drops of dilute phosphoric acid. The 
addition of the phosphoric acid seemed, however, to modify the 
result very much, since four slightly alkaline solutions with which 
experiments have been made have proved entirely barren, whilst three 
out of five solutions whose alkalinity had been neutralised by the 
acid, either contained organisms or spiral fibre masses. In all 
cases the solutions were boiled! for from three to five minutes, 

1 The silicates are held in solution very feebly, and, unfortunately, 
Q 
