444 EVENINGS AT THE MICROSCOPE 



appearance of the constriction, the new animal threw out 

 its clear neck to a great length, writhing it about with 

 rapid agility, and forming the most elegant curves, like 

 those of a serpent, often completely encircling its own 

 body with it. It still remained, however, in contact 

 with its parent, which, after a time, also protruded its 

 neck in the same manner. Both then retracted and re- 

 mained still for a while; and again, almost simultane- 

 ously, threw out their long necks, and again retired to 

 sluggish repose. 



Among the sediment, the grains of which are driven 

 hither and thither by their spasmodic jerking movements, 

 you see several individuals of another sort of creatures 

 the Chrysalis Animalcule (Paramoecium aurelia). This 

 is a "whale among minnows"; for it is greatly larger than 

 any of those we have yet observed; and is just visible to 

 the naked eye, when we hold up the live -box obliquely 

 against the light; for then the animals appear as the small- 

 est possible white specks. 



Bringing them again under the microscope, each pre- 

 sents a pellucid appearance, and an oblong figure, of which 

 the fore part is somewhat narrowed. The back rises in a 

 rounded elevation; and the mouth is situated as far back 

 as the middle of the body upon the under surface, where 

 its position is marked by a sort of long fold, the sides of 

 which are fringed with long cilia, whose vibrations are 

 very marked. The whole surface, on both sides, is cov- 

 ered with minute cilia, arranged in longitudinal rows, of 

 which, according to the great Prussian professor, there are 

 from thirty to sixty on each surface, each row bearing 

 sixty or seventy cilia. This must be considered as an 

 approximation ; for we may well doubt the accuracy of the 



