THE BIOLOGY OF DAILY LIFE. 91 



description to Ophelia of the method of the " Pro- 

 logue" players to the murder of Gonzago. After the 

 dumb show of injecting poison, in reply to Ophelia's 

 questions, Hamlet says : 



"Ham. We shall know by this fellow. 

 These players cannot keep counsel ; they tell 

 all." 



" Oph. Will he tell us what this show 

 meant ?" 



"Ham. Ay, or any show that you'll show 

 him. Be not you ashamed to show. He'll not 

 shame to tell you what it means." 



Take one example. Nature (as if forced to act in 

 accordance to Hamlet's mocking advice) showed a tiny 

 point an organism "of about the .0025 part of a 

 milimetre in diameter, spherical or oval, and of a 

 bright red colour" (Klein p. 63). 



No less than two of the " players" are down upon 

 that show, and, though they could not tell the meaning 

 (for Nature refuses to such men and such methods her 

 meanings), they can name. 



Cohn calls it, " Clathrocystis roseo-persicina," and 

 Lankester comes in with a second name nay, I must 

 be careful. It appears to be a matter of the utmost 

 moment who calls out first in this cruel game, and I 

 really cannot say whether Cohn or Lankester saw this 

 particular show first, and we may believe that both 

 may divide the crown. 



The alternative name is Bacterium rubescens. How 

 suggestive is this inceptive rubescens ; the bacterium, 

 that is " beginning to blush." 



Outraged humanity may cause that blush to extend 



