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organic bodies perceptible to the senses, which excite 

 and delight our perceptions, is to be traced back to the 

 alike infinitely numerous and delicate differences in 

 the atomic constitution of the albumen-compounds 

 which constitute the plasma of the plastids." The 

 word albumen here will be noticed presently; but, in 

 the meantime, it is obvious that the whole difficulty 

 may turn on the use of the word same or identical, 

 without sufficiently precise definition. With Fletcher 

 there is no ambiguity when he speaks merely of the 

 anatomical unity and of a similarity of molecular com- 

 position distinct from all chemical compounds, while 

 capable of infinite diversity within its own region. 

 But in Huxley's language, owing probably to being 

 spoken in a lecture, there are some omissions that 

 cause an ambiguity, which has misled Dr. Stirling, and 

 others. For example, these expressions implying the 

 sameness of the nature of protoplasm : 



" A single physical basis of life," and, through its 

 unity, " the whole living world," is pervaded by " a 

 threefold unity, viz., a unity of power or faculty, a 

 unity of form, and a unity of substantial composition." 

 4< Protoplasm simple, or nucleated, is the formal basis 

 of life. It is the clay of the potter which, bake it, - 

 paint it as he will, remains clay, separated by artifice, 

 and not by nature, from the commonest brick or sun- 

 dried clod." 



With such passages as these, we can hardly wonder 

 that readers might go away with the idea that the 

 -sameness of protoplasm was meant by Huxley, although 

 further reflection would have shown that such an 

 idea is incompatible with the protoplasmic theory 



