THE LOWER FORMS OF LIFE. 25 



dead oyster, has been allowed to decompose. Those who have not 

 microscopes may see all the Infusoria in Pritchard's translation of 

 Elirenberg's great work ; but half the charm is lost if they are not 

 seen alive. Their motions are so quick and graceful, their form so 

 varied, their habits so singular, that they who are unaccustomed to 

 microscopical investigation are always, when shown this sight, filled 

 with astonishment and delight. The scene is continually varying. 

 At one time you see a number of creatures of an oval shape, more 

 or less pointed or obtuse, dart across the field of the microscrope 

 like the shuttle of a weaver, rebounding when they come in contact 

 with each other or any of their companions, but generally making 

 good way. These are divided into many genera, such as Paramaecium, 

 Euplotes, Loxodes, &c. Then will be seen rolling along the globular 

 conf ervoid ( Volvox globator), coloured green, as a plant ought to be, 

 and containing many easily seen young volvoxes within it. Now a 

 waving, sneaking, leechlike-looking thing (Loxophyllum) will show 

 itself, followed by the trumpet-shaped Stentor. But stay; what 

 was that which suddenly seemed to be in and then out of sight 

 again in a moment ? Keep as still as a mouse, and you will observe 

 that you have got a bit of the root of duckweed in sight, and from 

 this root you will see gradually coming out, as it were, a stalk, and 

 then the end of the stalk will appear to expand into a cup-shaped 

 extremity, the edge of which is surrounded by hundreds of small 

 hair-like organs (cilia) which immediately begin to work about with 

 a motion so rapid that you can hardly see them. Eight, or ten, or 

 twenty, or more of these cups, each with its separate stalk, may be 

 observed : thus creating a current in the water in order to draw into 

 the same cup any other animalcules, which, whether, they will or 

 no, once in the current, like the unlucky boat over Niagara, are 

 carried away to their destruction, for the Vorticella nebulifera is 

 feeding. The slightest movement of the microscope, and quick as 

 lightning, every cup, by a corkscrew-like action of the stalk, is 

 drawn down to the root of the duckweed. If you watch them long 

 enough, you will find some of these cups are splitting in two 

 each half forming a perfect cup and as one stalk is too much for 

 two, one of them separates and goes into the world of waters on its 

 own account. There are many different species and genera in the 

 family of Vorticellina, all of which are interesting objects under the 

 microscope. But what is the object with revolving wheels ? It is a 

 "wheel animalcule," one of the Eotatoria, but it belongs to a much 

 higher class than our Protozoon, so we must defer all notice of him, 

 though one of the most beautiful and interesting objects seen through 

 the microscope. 



