118 THE KIDDLE OF THE UNIVERSE. 



The second stage of psychic activity, compound 

 reflex action, begins with the cenobitic protists {v.g. y 

 the volvox and the carchesium). The innumerable 

 social cells, which make up this cell-community or 

 coenobium, are always more or less connected, often 

 directly connected by filamentous bridges or proto- 

 plasm. A stimulus that alights on one or more cells 

 of the community is communicated to the rest by 

 means of the connecting fibres, and may produce a 

 general contraction. This connection is found, also, 

 in the tissues of the multicellular animals and plants. 

 It was erroneously believed at one time that the cells 

 of vegetal tissue were completely isolated from each 

 other, but we have now discovered fine filaments of 

 protoplasm throughout, which penetrate the thick 

 membranes of the cells, and maintain a material and 

 psychological communication between their living 

 plasmic contents. That is the explanation of the 

 mimosa : when the tread of the passer-by shakes the 

 root of the plant, the stimulus is immediately 

 conveyed to all the cells, and causes a general contrac- 

 tion of its tender leaves and a drooping of the stems. 



An important and universal feature of all reflex 

 phenomena is the absence of consciousness. For 

 reasons which we shall give in the tenth chapter we 

 only admit the presence of consciousness in man and 

 the higher animals, not in plants, the lower animals, 

 and the protists ; consequently all stimulated move- 

 ments in the latter must be regarded as reflex — that 

 is, all movements which are not spontaneous, not the 

 outcome of internal causes (impulsive and automatic 

 movements). 1 It is different with the higher animals 



1 Cf. Max Verworn, Psychophysiologtiche Protisten-Studien, pp. 

 135, 140. 



