514 THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



The vessel contained, as I have said, an abundance 

 of Chlorococcus growing in jelly-like masses and afeo 

 in other modes. There was, for instance, a very large 

 quantity of small green vesicles from roVo" to ToW" 

 in diameter which did not exist in any obvious jelly- 

 like matrix. Some of these vesicles grew out into elegant 

 Confervae, whilst others progressively increased in size 

 so as to yield the much larger vesicles from which the 

 Ciliated Infusoria and the Rotifers were derived. 

 Multitudes of these small vesicles, however, did not 

 increase in size at all, owing to the continuance of 

 processes of fission, though they remained in a state of 

 aggregation. They thus formed masses which increased 

 in size till more or less spheroidal heaps were produced 

 about 2ihj" i n diameter, partly separate and partly in 

 apposition with one another. 



A pellicle on the surface of the fluid was in the main 

 composed of these various elements ; and they also were 

 the principal components of the thin layer by which 

 the glass beaker was lined. But, thickly interspersed 

 amongst some of the heaps of minute Chlorococcus- 

 vesicles, there were a number of dark-brown ovoidal, 

 egg-like bodies, also about -^" in diameter. I soon 

 satisfied myself that these were the so-called c winter- 

 eggs' of the beautiful and highly complex Rotifer known 

 by the name of Hydatina senta 1 . Such c winter-eggs' were 



1 These observations were made during the month of April 1872, and 

 the fluid in which the Chlorococcus had developed had been placed in 

 the beaker about six weeks previously. 



