No. 120.1 385 



ing the two kingdoms, when they shall each have arrived at 

 their lowest forms. Its truth, has, however, never been denied. 

 On the contrary, Kutzing, in his recent magnificent work of 

 Algfe, insists that it happens in his Ulothrix Zonata. He asserts 

 that in the cells of that plant there are ibund minute animal- 

 cules, with a red eye point and at ranspareut mouth place ; that 

 they are not in fact, distinguishable from Ehrenberg's Microglena 

 monadina ; these bodies are, however, animal only for a time. 

 At last they grow into vegetable threads, the lowerjoint of which 

 still exhibits the red eye-point. This phenomenon, which Kutz- 

 ing assures us he has ascertained beyond all possibility of doubt, 

 put an end to the question whether animals and plants can be 

 distinguished at the limits of their two kingdoms. It is in this 

 microscopic cellular state of existence that the animal kingdom 

 ends and the vegetable commences. 



While the members of the Club were examining the speci- 

 mens, the Secretary read from Lindley's Vegetable Kingdom fur- 

 ther, as follows : — " It is not easy to settle the limits of the alli- 

 ances of Thallogen, [that is the class Fungus and Lichens (or 

 moss.) ] Linnaeus and Jussieu made but two divisions — Fungi 

 and Algse — and they have been followed by some modern bota- 

 nists, particularlj- Fries and Wahlenberg. In what way those 

 forms can be best defined, is a very difl&cult question. It has 

 been said that Algce are aquatics, while Lichens and Fungi are 

 terrestrial ; but Fungi will develope in water, when they assume 

 the farm of AlgfE. Lichens have been characterized by thei 

 shields or reproductive disks containing spores, lying in the fusi- 

 form spore cases called Asci."' 



Mr. Frye remarked tliat, so far as lie had experimented, some 

 of the colors of Alga^ — one of them of a madder tint, nearly — 

 have gained in brilliancy by being subjected to soap, soda, ammo- 

 nia, and steam of 2500 Fahrenheit. 



The Secretary. — The Club will recollect that the Tyrian dye, 

 so famed in ancient times, used to give the imperial purple of 

 Babylon and Rome — was derived from a shell-fish called Murex, 

 on tlie coasts of Syria. That color was celebrated not only on 

 account of its great beauty, but because it was indelible. 



[Assembly, No. 129.J 25 



