Cellular Plants. 243 



fusions. But those of hay, turnip and other vegetables, and of meat, 

 almost always produce Iln-h r! at fust, and after the infusion becomes 

 older, other organisms present themselves. It was the presence of in- 

 numerable Bacteria in Prof. Tyndall's infusions that made them 

 "muddy." As Bacteria resulted from the dust of the hay-loft in the 

 experiment on the Alps, we must conclude that the dust or spores or 

 germs furnished by the ha} r were somehow or other responsible for the 

 Bacteria. As remarked above there is not the slightest probability that 

 these Bacteria were carried up there by the air and lodged exclusively 

 in the hay. If they had been they would have been in the air too. I 

 think we must conclude that the spores or germs begotten on the stalks, 

 leaves, or fruit of the hay or grass, developed into the rod-like Bacteria 

 when put into the infusion. This conclusion involves the further theory 

 that these germs do not reproduce themselves or something like them 

 selves, but an organism very different. And this I think is the im- 

 portant lesson taught by these experiments that those organisms which 

 are elementary in their nature are liable to great variation in their devel- 

 opment. The environment which includes the dynamic agencies that 

 operate in their development, has as much or more to do with the direc- 

 tion it takes than any tendency resulting from their origin. If this is 

 true, similar infusions might develop similar organisms from germs of 

 different origin. Bacteria similar in appearance might arise from spores 

 or organic dust from many different sources. But on the other hand, 

 when the infusions are different, different sorts of development may be 

 expected in germs having the same origin. This theory saves us from 

 the necessity of peopling the air with some hundreds of species of 

 vagrant germs nearly all destitute of any visible means of support, yet 

 tenaciously holding to an impossible cast-iron pedigree. If the facts 

 cited are not sufficient to support this theory, we shall have some more 

 in the next chapter. 



CHAPTER XXX. 



CELLULAR PLANTS, INFUSORIA AND THEIR TRANSMUTATIONS. 



"The opinion seems to be pretty common that Vibriones are higher 

 organisms than Bacteria, and that Torula? are higher than either. Both 

 these views, however, must be received with certain qualifications."* 

 Bastian claims " that Bacteria and Torulae merely represent two of the 

 most prevalent forms which specks of new born living matter are prone to 

 assume." From the same liquid may be developed, indifferently, Bac- 



* Tliis quotation, and most of those which follow, are from Dr. Bastian's " Beginnings 

 of Life." 



