CYTOLOGY. 



145 



sis), imparting to tiny points of matter its 

 process, whereby they become alive. Again 

 we may bring to mind that the biology of to- 

 day has as its chief object to catch Nature in- 

 dividuating herself into these living units 

 whose primal forms are cells. 



So we are next to pass out of our specula- 

 tive postulate of a Pre-cellular Biocosmos, 

 its first stage, as yet unrevealed to the strictly 

 scientific eye, but its ever-present necessary 

 pre-supposition and indeed the ideal object 

 of its search and research. We have reached 

 the single cell, separated, individuated, vis- 

 ible, organized, with its own round of life. 

 This is therefore the second or separated 

 stage of the Cellular Biocosmos as a whole 

 a vast living territory, by no means yet fully 

 explored. We may call it the unicellular 

 world, with an enormous and varied popula- 

 tion of individuals. 



II. Unicellular Life. Actually now lies 

 before us the visible unit of all Life, a com- 

 plete organism even if microscopic, the first 

 vital individuation, as far as can at present 

 be seen the single cell.' In a sense it is the 

 passage from a hypothetical element to the 

 real appearance, the ideal clothing itself in 

 its material counterpart, the unformed or 

 purely formable taking form to our vision. 

 The organic universe is now seen split up 



