PARTI.] Rev. Mr. Berkeley s Method of Examination in "^ Growing Cell.^'' 23 



eye spot, nor any trace of contractile vesicle, merely a spindle-shaped speck of jelly 

 enclosed in a delicate elastic sac, endowed with the power of rapidly altering its shape 

 and position (Plate XV, Fig. lii). So capable are they of adapting themselves to 

 circumstances as to be able to insinuate themselves with the fluid through the meshes 

 of fine blotting-paper. All these were present to a greater or less extent for a week. 



A drop of the fluid was placed on a hermetically sealed slide, and the little bodies 

 remained active until the fourth day, when they gradually ceased to present any kind 

 of motion, but settled down into irregular little masses of jelly-like appearance, to 

 which condition also the corpuscular bodies had been reduced (Fig. liii). On several 

 occasions, however, the animalculse were seen to become more than usually active 

 for a short time, before ceasing altogether : to push out processes in all directions, 

 and as quickly taking them in again, finally settling down as shapeless little 

 pellets. Some of the various forms assumed by one of these at this stage are 

 sketched in Fig. liv. 



Uluatration II. : — 



A condition precisely similar to the foregoing was observed in the evacuation of 

 another man a few hours before death, as well as in the contents of the large and 

 small intestine at the post-mortem examination. The action of re-agents is much the 

 same as on any other hyaline protein globule. 



They remained unaffected by strong acetic acid for ten minutes ; gradually, 

 however, the contents contracted more or less regularly, thus allowing of a delicate 

 capsule being brought to view (Fig. Iv, 1). After a time the contents vanished, 

 merely a finely granular ring being left (2) ; absolute alcohol made the contents 

 appear granular, as at 3, whilst some appeared but little affected ; ether subsequently 

 being added caused them to shrink considerably, but did not dissolve them (4). 



Iodine stains them a brownish-red, and makes them appear somewhat granular (5). 



In order to test whether some of them might not be " spores," a series of 

 observations was commenced, some of which have already been described in the 

 chapter on " Cysts " (page 6). 



A growing cell was prepared on the Rev. Mr. Berkeley's plan, by drawing a 

 ring of varnish on the glass slide, allowing it to become nearly dry, cleansing it, 

 as well as the covering glass, thoroughly with spirit and distilled water. A droplet of 

 the evacuation was then transferred to the centre of the cell (Fig. Ivi), care having 

 been taken that no part of the sides was touched by the fluid when the covering glass 

 was applied. 



It was afterwards hermetically sealed, sufficient air being already enclosed to allow 

 at least of germination. The limited area of the preparation enabled the geography 

 of various objects to be easily remembered, and tended very materially to precise 

 observation. 



