186 THE HISTORY OF CREATION. 
dentally come into contact with the Moneron, they remain 
hanging to the sticky semi-fluid globule of mucus, and 
here create an irritation, which is followed by a strong afflux 
of the mucous substance, and, in consequence, they become 
finally completely inclosed by it, or are drawn into the 
body of the Moneron by displacement of the several albu- 
minous particles, and are there digested, being absorbed by 
simple diffusion (endosmosis). 
Just as simple as the process of nutrition is the propaga- 
tion of these primitive creatures, which in reality we can 
neither call animals nor plants. All Monera propagate 
themselves only in an asexual manner by monogony ; and 
in the simplest case, by that kind of monogony which we 
place at the head of the different forms of propagation, that 
is, by self-division. When such a little globule, for example 
a Protamoeba or a Protogenes, has attained a certain size 
by the assimilation of foreign albuminous matter, it falls 
into two pieces; a pinching in takes place, contracting the 
middle of the globule on all sides, and finally leads to the 
separation of the two halves (compare Fig. 1.). Each half 
Fic. 1.—Propagation of the simplest organism, a Moneron, by self-division. 
A. The extire Moneron, a Protamceba. JB. It falls into two halves by a 
contraction in the middle. C. Each of the two halves has separated from 
the other, and now represents an independent individual. 
