THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 189 



entire, until the time arrives for the spore thus formed 

 to germinate. Now, under certain circumstances, 

 which appear to be the approaching dissolution or death 

 of the cetl-<wa/l, a similar process takes place in the 

 cells of the Characeae; and following this from the 

 beginning, we find, that it first commences with a 

 cessation of the circulation, after which the lines of 

 green disks forming the green layer become displaced, 

 and, as if obeying a still continued but inappreciable 

 movement of the mucus-layer, they roll themselves up 

 into lines which assume a more or less irregular arrange- 

 ment across the internode, or into groups of different 

 sizes, more or less connected by narrow lines of mucus 

 and single disks, so as to present an areolar structure 

 in contact with the inner surface of the cell-wall. The 

 next stage is the separation of the disks into still more 

 distinct groups, which, having become more circum- 

 scribed and circular, leave the cell-wall and evince 

 a certain amount of polymorphism and locomotion. 

 The cavity of the internode hitherto rendered turbid 

 by the breaking up of the green layer, now clears oft 

 and becomes transparent, save where the circular masses, 

 which have changed from their original green into 

 a brownish-green or yellow colour, intercept the light. 

 After a day or two, but the time seems to vary, 

 the green disks become entirely brown, and the group 

 assuming a more circumscribed and circular form, 

 shows that it is surrounded by a transparent globular 

 cell[-wall]; this we shall henceforth call the gonidial 



