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either to the one kingdom or to the other. In the vegetative 
stage—the stage here exhibited—the organism is strikingly sim- 
ilar in its essential attributes to some of the lower animals. 
Later, in the reproductive stage, there is at least a superficial 
resemblance to the fungi, which are undoubted plants. Unde 
the lenses of a second microscope are a esis of the dia- 
toms—one-celled organisms, some of which’ the power of 
animal-like locomotion. The living substance of each cell is 
enclosed and protected by a hard transparent siliceous wall con- 
sisting of two halves, one of which fits into the other like a band- 
box and its cover. Following this are shown two minute plants 
which inhabit fresh water and Belong to eae often referred to 
in popular speech as “ pond-scums”’ or “0 In the natural 
unmagnified condition, plants of this sort ae seem quite the 
reverse of attractive, but when placed under a sufficiently eee 
ful microscope many of them reveal a rare beauty. There a 
also exhibited two of their near oo bane inhabit the sea 
and ommonly known as “sea mosses’ or “ seaweeds.” 
Most plants of this nature he lose much of their natural 
beauty of coloration on prolonged exposure to the light but the 
prevailing elegance and symmetry of form and structure persist. 
Following the plants of the seaweed type are several represen- 
tatives of the smaller fungi. The specimens thus far have been 
selected chiefly from among those which grow upon decaying 
organic matter. It is to be presumed that later the parasitic 
decaying refuse matter Ascobolus is one of the more interesting 
among those selected for exhibition. In this, the spores or prop- 
agating cells are borne in groups of eight within transparent 
ellipsoidal sacs and at maturity these sacs, each enclosing eight 
spores, are ejected with considerable force. Under two micro- 
