64 



THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 







the case just specified, the uppermost part of the deposit will exhibit 

 perfect crystals, that immediately beneath it crystals beginning to have 

 their angles rounded off, and the examination thus continued successively 

 upon still lower portions will show the gradual passage of imperfectly 



rectihnear figures into forms perfectly spherical In the former 



case the molecules of carbonate of lime are uncombined, and, therefore, 

 in its crystalline state it may be regarded as pure ; in the latter, the car- 

 bonate of lime is combined with the viscid substance, as can be shown 



the molecular com] 

 Ifwe now turn < 



parency, and the same hardness and structure as the 

 component ones/ And yet the fact that these effects 

 are brought about solely *^by the mutual attraction of 

 the tv/o globules/ must show, quite plainly, that the 

 molecules of such structures have an extraordinary 

 mobility and capability of rearrangement which may 

 dimly remind us of the molecular mobility and or- 

 gani^ing tendencies of living matter. 



It is a fact of considerable interest, moreover, that 

 the shapes of such bodies should so closely resemble 



F 



those of primordial living things. The shapes of the 

 former are undoubtedly determined by the mere physical 

 properties of the molecules of which they are composed^ 

 which, owing to the combination of the saline matter 

 with some of the viscid material, are probably large and 

 complex ^. And, therefore, we can only suppose that 



1 Mr. Rainey says :— ' If the density of the alkaline solution exceed | ^f^^^ain plants^ 

 much the degree mentioned in the formula, and if that of the simple 

 solution of gum is not equal to the degree there specified, the alkali 

 diffusing itself through the simple solution of gum more rapidly than the 

 gum contained in the lower solution, a larger quantity of carbonate will 

 be formed than there will be gum to combine with it in the proportion 

 necessary to form the globular carbonate, and consequently the carbonate 

 of lime formed in the upper part of the bottle will be deficient in gum, ( 

 and therefore it will be crystalline and not globular Hence, in 



If 



ticli may emerge 

 ifc shall find that 

 eatflre, according t 

 are formed. 



The starch-grain 



respects, closely 

 tea describi 



r 



mg. 



ntly by a pr, 

 ^ M ; they 



structu 



ristic 



mam 



'^! and 



^ certain 



fiescribt 



natural 



am, 





a 



II. 



02 



