NoVEMHEK, 191: 



KNOWLEDGE. 





1m., -i '•• t , :i,l crystals c,f p.ir;i-:i/.i\>lH II .! ,..:,n 

 iiatuial HkIiI. sliewiiit; K*;K"i<'tiii; form. 



bv sub.stitution. at once dispels all a]iiiearancc of 

 liquo-crystalliiiitw 



BiCAKINC, i:i>ON THE PR015LK.M Ol' LiFE. 



Striking similarities have recentl)' been observed 

 between the behaviour of " liquid-crystals " and that 

 of the lowest living organisms. Under certain 

 circumstances, the droplets line up in a chain 

 resembling long tine hairs, which afford a most realistic 

 serpentine movement. This is strikingly shown in 

 Figure 451. where the "apparently living crystals" of 



FlGi'RK_,44y. I.i(|iiiil crv>t.il. of ii.n.i a.MW ;Liii-~ul in 

 natural liKht. 



para-azoxv cinnamic acid eth\l ester have been 

 photographed in natural light. In spite of the ver_\- 

 short time of e.xposurc (one-fiftieth second), the 

 indistinctness of some of the bends clearly indicates 

 that even during this time, considerable undulations 

 of the serpentine folds had taken place. 



Add to this curious behaviour the well-known facts 

 that crvstals'grow and exhibit a certain recuperative 

 power, also that phenomena akin to auto-division 

 and copulation are frequently to be observed among 

 the globules of crvstalline liquids, and the resemblance 



Figure 450. The same drop as in Figure 449, but in a 

 magnetic field. 



Fir.iKi, 'i?\. " I.i\iim ri\>l.il>" uf para-a/i>xy cinnamic acid 

 ethyl cslLi U) natural light. 



