THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



443 



broken at intervals, and bearing bud-like projections, 

 each of which was capped with a single spore. 



Experiment b. An infusion of common cress (Lepi- 

 d'mm satfoum), to which a few of the leaves and stalks 

 of the plant were added. 



This was kept in the same way as the last solu- 

 tion, and was similarly exposed to sun-light for a 

 few days. 



After nine weeks, and before the neck of the flask 

 was broken, the vacuum was found to be well preserved. 

 The reaction of the fluid was distinctly acid, but there 

 was no notable odour of any kind. The fluid itself 

 was tolerably clear and free from scum, though there 

 was a considerable quantity of a dirty-looking flocculent 

 sediment at the bottom of the flask, amongst the debris 

 of the cress. On microscopical examination of portions 

 of these fragments, most of the cells in the stalks were 

 found crowded with very actively-moving granules. In 

 some of the leaves the chlorophyle was not much 

 altered, whilst in others it presented various stages 

 of decomposition being in some cells wholly replaced 

 by a blackish-brown granular material. Large quan- 

 tities of such matter also existed, either dispersed or 

 aggregated, amongst the sediment; and in some of it 

 three minute and delicate Protamcelxe were seen, creep- 

 ing with moderately-rapid, slug-like, movements and 

 changes of form. They contained no nucleus, and 

 presented only a few granules in their interior. Partly 

 in the same drop, and partly in others, there were also 



