THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 523 



naissance a des Nematoides, qui chose curieuse, nai- 

 tront dans la carapace des petits Rotatoires' conserve's 

 dans un vase, tandisque dans un autre vase les Rota- 

 toires donneront d'autres produits infusoriels/ 



The statement of the occurrence of such trans- 

 formations will doubtless prove most surprising to the 

 reader, but yet it can be capped and in a measure 

 confirmed by others equally surprising 1 . 



Thus, it has already been stated that the smaller 

 Rotifers, as well as some specimens of the larger 

 varieties, frequently undergo a process of pangenesis 

 when they have reached the term of their existence, 

 whereby portions of their substance, becoming indivi- 

 dualized, separate in the form of Actinophrys 2 . Such 

 forms are generally very vigorous and most voracious, 

 so that they rapidly increase in size, until they have 

 acquired considerable dimensions. Having already 3 

 alluded to the fact, ascertained by Dr. Gros, that some 

 of these organisms after a time retract their rays and 

 become converted into specimens of the larger and 

 more complex of the Rotifers, it now remains for 

 us to add, that other apparently similar specimens of 



1 I have seen so many startling transformations myself, and have, 

 moreover, been able to confirm Dr. Gros' observations in so many 

 respects, that I see no reason for doubting these particular observations^ 

 more especially as they refer to masses of matter of a comparatively 

 large size. 



2 See p. 484. 



3 See p. 505. 



