Eacillaria.} THE INFUSORIA. 179 



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trations of the subject, which, according to my own 

 opinion, are decidedly composed of plants. The first 

 little plant we find described and represented in Ehren- 

 berg^s work is Gonium (?) tranquillum (E.) This I dis- 

 covered in 1828, gave a representation of it, and after- 

 wards named it Merismopedia punctata. Ehrenberg him- 

 self has observed nothing animal with respect to this 

 plant, which belongs to the Ulvaceae, and distinguishes 

 itself remarkably by its continual regular self-division. 

 The members of the genus Closterium belong just as 

 decidedly to the vegetable kingdom as does the Gonium ; 

 but the following reasons are adduced by Ehrenberg as 

 proofs of their animal organization. They possess volun- 

 tary motion ; they have openings at the extremity ; they 

 possess continually-moving even protruding organs imme- 

 diately behind the openings, and they are endowed with 

 transverse self- division. But all plants, says Ehrenberg, 

 which are endowed with voluntary motion, open orifices, 

 feet, and self-division, we may look upon as animals, with- 

 out waiting to see them eat. That this last resolution is 

 correct, no doubt all botanists wfll accede to; but the 

 following considerations are those which incline to the 

 opinion of the vegetable nature of the Closterina. The 

 structure of the Closterina is evidently that of the Con- 

 ferva, as well as the formation of their spores or seeds, 

 and the development of them. The existence of amylum 

 within the Closterina is a striking proof of their vegetable 

 nature. They are likewise destitute of feet, for what 

 Ehrenberg took for these appendages are self-moveable 

 molecules, as are seen in Closterium trabecula, to the 

 number of 5 or 600, or more, and filling a canal running 



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