454 THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



curved bodies,, having blocks of protoplasm within 

 which apparently resulted from a longitudinal growth 

 of single frustules. The groups of organisms, as well as 

 those which were single, exhibited the same slow partial 

 rotations, forwards and backwards, which had been 

 observed in those produced in other solutions. 



Some of this solution was put into a corked tube, 

 and when it was examined two months afterwards, all 

 the frustules had lost their greenish colour, and were 

 apparently quite dead. 



'Experiment n. A solution containing ten grains of 

 ammonic carbonate, and three grains of sodic phosphate 

 in one ounce of distilled water. 



The flask was opened in the commencement of the 

 twelfth week from the date of preparation, the vacuum 

 having been previously ascertained to be well preserved. 

 The reaction of the solution was slightly alkaline. 

 There was no notable turbidity of the fluid, though 

 there was a small amount of whitish deposit, which on 

 microscopical examination was found to be mostly 

 composed of amorphous granules. The fluid itself con- 

 tained a small number of minute but distinct Bacteria^ 

 and also a number of figure-of-8 shaped bodies all 

 of which exhibited sluggish movements. They were 

 very faint in colour, so that on this account and owing 

 to their small size, although plentiful . enough, they 

 were somewhat difficult to recognize. A drop of the 

 solution, on the application of the covering glass, had 

 been immediately cemented, and when examined after 



